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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 · roll · wake · bulb · charge · ball · craft · mark

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. staff — employees
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bulb — for light
  5. staff — a stick
  6. charge — in control
  7. ball — a dance
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. charge — a price
  10. ball — a great time
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bulb — for light
  13. craft — boats
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a list
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. mark — a trace
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. roll — a cake
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. staff — employees
  24. craft — a skill

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