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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: land · ruler · ball · staff · swing · bowl · hide · root

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ball — a great time
  6. swing — to play on
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. land — a country
  9. root — the cause
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. staff — employees
  12. ball — a dance
  13. swing — in golf
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. land — to come down
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. root — of a plant
  21. swing — music
  22. root — of a word
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. land — ground

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