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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: snap · ball · last · safe · board · game · rule · fine

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a great time
  4. fine — all right
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. fine — high quality
  7. game — a match
  8. board — a committee
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — wild animals
  15. snap — to click
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. board — to get on
  18. last — to go on
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. rule — government
  22. last — finally
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rule — a law

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