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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: staff · pitcher · content · stick · roll · pop · face · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. roll — a list
  3. face — to confront
  4. staff — employees
  5. roll — a cake
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pop — to visit
  9. staff — employees
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. kid — to tease
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. face — to point toward
  15. pop — soda
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. staff — a stick
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. content — the amount
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. face — part of the head
  22. content — happy
  23. pop — music
  24. content — videos and posts

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