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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: toast · staff · pitcher · ruler · lean · roll · court · ball

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. court — for sport
  3. staff — employees
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. staff — employees
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. toast — bread
  11. court — of a king
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a great time
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. staff — a stick
  21. roll — a cake
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. court — of law

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