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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: squash · saw · charge · sharp · ground · ruler · jam · court

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. charge — in control
  3. squash — the sport
  4. charge — a price
  5. court — of a king
  6. ground — crushed
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. charge — electricity
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. sharp — clever
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. ground — the earth
  15. court — for sport
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. squash — to crush
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. court — of law
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ground — a position
  24. squash — the vegetable

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