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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — in biology
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wind — moving air
  9. march — music
  10. cue — a signal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. march — the month
  13. roll — a list
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. cue — for pool
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bound — certain
  21. march — the month
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bound — tied together
  24. cue — a hint

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