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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: cap · bark · roll · ball · staff · firm · last · row

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a line
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. staff — a stick
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. roll — a list
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. firm — steady
  11. last — to go on
  12. firm — a company
  13. ball — a great time
  14. staff — employees
  15. cap — a lid
  16. last — final
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. firm — decided
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. last — finally
  21. bark — to shout
  22. staff — employees
  23. cap — of ice
  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