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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. court — of law
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. court — for sport
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. club — for golf
  7. kick — in football
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. roll — a list
  10. clip — a video
  11. roll — a cake
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — for paper
  14. key — for a lock
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. key — in music
  18. rule — a law
  19. club — a group
  20. court — of a king
  21. rule — government
  22. key — the most important part
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. club — for dancing

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