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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 · ball · rest · drill · bulb · spell · jam · staff

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. drill — army training
  4. roll — a list
  5. bulb — for light
  6. roll — a cake
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. drill — a practice
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bulb — for light
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. rest — what's left
  14. staff — employees
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. rest — what's left
  17. spell — a short time
  18. ball — a dance
  19. rest — a break
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. staff — employees
  22. drill — the tool
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — magic

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