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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: cap · rule · degree · foot · calf · swing · race · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. cap — a lid
  3. foot — a measure
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cap — a hat
  6. race — humankind
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. race — the arms race
  11. ball — a great time
  12. race — a contest
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — temperature
  15. rule — a law
  16. swing — to play on
  17. degree — from a university
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — music
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rule — government

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