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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: band · suit · leaves · deal · drill · ground · sharp · stand

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. suit — to fit
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. drill — a practice
  5. ground — a position
  6. sharp — clever
  7. band — a music group
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. drill — the tool
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. deal — to handle
  12. band — a ring
  13. ground — crushed
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. suit — in cards
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. ground — the earth
  19. stand — to bear
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. suit — clothes
  24. stand — for spectators

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com