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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.

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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: staff · wave · fine · ball · roll · pit · bore · coach

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. staff — a stick
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bore — to drill
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pit — in a race
  9. ball — a dance
  10. fine — high quality
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. pit — a hole
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. roll — a list
  20. staff — employees
  21. fine — all right
  22. ball — a great time
  23. staff — employees
  24. bore — to tire

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