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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. swing — music
  3. land — to come down
  4. pop — soda
  5. roll — a cake
  6. pop — music
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. land — a country
  10. pop — to visit
  11. drill — army training
  12. land — ground
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. roll — a list
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. drill — the tool
  17. kick — in football
  18. swing — in golf
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rule — government
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. drill — a practice
  23. rule — a law
  24. swing — to play on

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