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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: content · sharp · season · ruler · arm · court · jam · rush

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. court — for sport
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rush — hurry
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. court — of law
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — in sport
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. content — happy
  19. content — the amount
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. court — of a king
  23. sharp — clever
  24. content — videos and posts

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