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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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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: season · roll · fan · bore · sharp · ruler · hand · club

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bore — to drill
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — help
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. season — in sport
  7. club — a group
  8. roll — a list
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. roll — a cake
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bore — to tire
  18. club — for golf
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. club — for dancing
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. ruler — for measuring

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