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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
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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: roll · rest · can · pit · ball · arm · bat · court

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. ball — a great time
  3. court — for sport
  4. bat — the animal
  5. pit — a hole
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. roll — a cake
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. rest — a break
  10. court — of law
  11. court — of a king
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. roll — a list
  15. pit — in a race
  16. rest — what's left
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. can — a tin
  21. rest — what's left
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. can — to be able to

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