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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: roll · can · ball · cell · bear · staff · wake · court

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. roll — a cake
  3. court — of a king
  4. staff — a stick
  5. court — of law
  6. can — to be able to
  7. cell — a phone
  8. ball — a dance
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. ball — a great time
  17. court — for sport
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bear — the animal
  20. staff — employees
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. roll — a list
  24. staff — employees

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