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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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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: deal · jam · squash · branch · shower · fine · drill · firm

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. deal — to handle
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. drill — a practice
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. branch — a division
  8. squash — to crush
  9. firm — decided
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. fine — high quality
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. firm — a company
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. drill — the tool
  17. firm — steady
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. squash — the sport
  21. shower — rain
  22. fine — all right
  23. shower — to wash
  24. drill — army training

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