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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 · rule · kick · pass · jam · wind · racket · cap

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  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. wind — moving air
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. roll — a cake
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. cap — a lid
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. cap — a hat
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. rule — a law
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. rule — government
  19. wind — moving air
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. cap — of ice
  23. kick — a thrill
  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