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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · capital · roll · rock · plane · content · pitcher · lean

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. capital — money
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. content — happy
  10. roll — a cake
  11. content — the amount
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rock — music
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. staff — employees
  16. lean — to bend
  17. plane — a tool
  18. capital — a city
  19. rock — a stone
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. roll — a list
  22. lean — thin
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. rock — to move gently

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