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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.

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: pitcher · drill · ruler · sharp · season · squash · court · bore

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. drill — a practice
  5. sharp — clever
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bore — to tire
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. squash — the sport
  13. drill — army training
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. season — in sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. squash — to crush
  19. court — of law
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bore — to drill
  22. court — for sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. sharp — exactly

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