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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: ruler · saw · wax · court · rash · pass · season · pitch

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. season — of the year
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. court — of law
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. court — for sport
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. rash — hasty
  14. season — in sport
  15. pitch — completely
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pass — a permit
  19. court — of a king
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. wax — to grow
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — in the ear

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