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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: content · pound · sharp · ball · mine · roll · toast · pass

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. toast — bread
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. pound — a weight
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. content — the amount
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. roll — a cake
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. roll — a list
  23. content — happy
  24. pass — to spend time

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