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

Word bank: deal · roll · dip · foot · ball · band · rule · cell

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. roll — a cake
  3. band — a ring
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. dip — to sink
  7. ball — a dance
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. rule — government
  10. foot — a measure
  11. rule — a law
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. cell — in biology
  16. ball — a great time
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. deal — to handle
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. band — a music group
  23. roll — a list
  24. cell — a phone

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