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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: squash · rush · court · cue · season · swing · root · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. root — of a word
  3. cue — a hint
  4. rush — hurry
  5. cue — a signal
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. court — of a king
  8. swing — music
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. season — of the year
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. squash — the sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. root — of a plant
  18. court — of law
  19. swing — to play on
  20. court — for sport
  21. squash — to crush
  22. swing — in golf
  23. season — in sport
  24. root — the cause

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