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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 · straw · roll · scale · stand · ball · deal · toast

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. roll — a list
  4. ball — a dance
  5. content — happy
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. toast — bread
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. deal — to handle
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. ball — a great time
  14. stand — to bear
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. scale — in music
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. content — the amount
  24. roll — a cake

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