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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: rule · net · stick · roll · bore · game · wind · capital

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. roll — a cake
  3. net — for catching
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bore — to drill
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. rule — a law
  11. net — after costs
  12. roll — a list
  13. capital — a city
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. net — in sport
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — government
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. capital — money
  23. game — a match
  24. bore — to tire

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