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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: can · roll · mark · cap · pop · court · fall · staff

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. mark — a grade
  3. roll — a cake
  4. fall — to drop
  5. roll — a list
  6. staff — a stick
  7. court — for sport
  8. fall — the season
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. court — of a king
  11. staff — employees
  12. cap — a hat
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — music
  15. mark — a trace
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — of ice
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. fall — to drop
  22. staff — employees
  23. pop — soda
  24. roll — on a roll

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