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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: mark · row · pitcher · staff · ball · roll · land · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. roll — a list
  3. staff — a stick
  4. roll — a cake
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. land — a country
  10. staff — employees
  11. land — ground
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. staff — employees
  14. mark — a trace
  15. row — a line
  16. ball — a great time
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. mark — a grade
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ball — a dance
  23. land — to come down
  24. cabinet — ministers

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