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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: wind · pass · jam · net · band · pit · temple · roll

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. roll — a cake
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — in sport
  11. wind — moving air
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a music group
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pass — a permit
  24. roll — a list

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