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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: object · snap · ball · calf · land · mate · rule · swing

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. object — a thing
  4. swing — in golf
  5. mate — to breed
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. land — ground
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — government
  11. object — an aim
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mate — a friend
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mate — a partner
  16. swing — music
  17. snap — to click
  18. swing — to play on
  19. land — to come down
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. land — a country
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. object — to protest
  24. ball — a great time

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