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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: roll · foot · band · cabinet · squash · key · cap · cell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. foot — a measure
  3. roll — a cake
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cell — a phone
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — in music
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. cap — a lid
  14. squash — the sport
  15. roll — a list
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a music group
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. squash — to crush
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. key — the most important part
  24. foot — 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