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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: cell · pop · deal · roll · arm · track · season · fine

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. season — of the year
  6. fine — high quality
  7. roll — a list
  8. season — in sport
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. deal — to handle
  14. track — to keep track
  15. fine — all right
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. roll — a cake
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — a phone
  20. track — a song
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pop — to visit
  24. track — a path

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