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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: squash · kid · capital · roll · rule · kick · press · ball

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — government
  4. kid — child
  5. roll — a list
  6. press — newspapers
  7. ball — a great time
  8. kid — to tease
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rule — a law
  15. roll — a cake
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. press — to push
  18. squash — the sport
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. ball — a dance
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a city
  24. squash — to crush

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