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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: fan · drill · court · ruler · pitcher · jam · land · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. court — of a king
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. drill — a practice
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. land — to come down
  12. drill — the tool
  13. land — a country
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. land — ground
  16. court — for sport
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. court — of law
  20. drill — army training
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. fan — a supporter

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