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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: roll · cabinet · date · pound · rule · cell · arm · bound

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. roll — a list
  7. pound — a weight
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bound — obliged
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bound — tied together
  12. date — the fruit
  13. rule — a law
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rule — government
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bound — certain
  21. cell — in biology
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — on a roll
  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