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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 120 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: charge · degree · bank · deal · shower · nail · mate · rock

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bank — for money
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bank — for money
  6. charge — a price
  7. degree — an amount
  8. mate — a friend
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. deal — to handle
  11. shower — rain
  12. bank — of a river
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. degree — temperature
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. shower — to wash
  17. charge — in control
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mate — a partner
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. charge — electricity

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