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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 120 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: lie · file · swing · arm · pass · court · rule · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. court — of a king
  4. file — a line of people
  5. swing — in golf
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. file — a tool
  9. ball — a great time
  10. court — for sport
  11. swing — to play on
  12. file — a document
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. court — of law
  15. swing — music
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. lie — to recline
  18. rule — a law
  19. pass — a permit
  20. rule — government
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pass — to succeed

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