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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: season · ruler · ball · stick · jam · bowl · pitcher · court

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. court — of a king
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. court — of law
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. court — for sport
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. season — of the year
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. ball — a great time
  24. season — in sport

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