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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: court · toast · bore · pitch · ruler · scale · shower · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. scale — size or range
  3. toast — bread
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. bore — to tire
  8. pitch — completely
  9. court — of a king
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. court — for sport
  13. game — wild animals
  14. court — of law
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. shower — rain
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. game — a match
  24. bore — to drill

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