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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.

Make a worksheet

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: ball · last · staff · ruler · mark · rash · bear · bowl

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. last — finally
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. staff — employees
  7. last — final
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. staff — employees
  12. rash — a series
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mark — a trace
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. last — to go on
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rash — hasty
  23. staff — a stick
  24. mark — a grade

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