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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
468
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: court · toast · ball · pass · arm · roll · staff · mark

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. ball — a dance
  9. staff — employees
  10. mark — a grade
  11. ball — a great time
  12. roll — a list
  13. court — of law
  14. pass — a permit
  15. staff — a stick
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of a king
  19. toast — bread
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. staff — employees
  22. mark — a trace
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. arm — part of the body

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