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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: staff · season · march · ruler · pitcher · roll · fine · squash

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. staff — employees
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. staff — employees
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. roll — a cake
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. roll — a list
  12. season — in sport
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. squash — the sport
  17. season — of the year
  18. fine — all right
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. march — music
  24. squash — to crush

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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