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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 116 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: deal · root · bowl · content · saw · can · cabinet · spell

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. root — of a word
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. root — of a plant
  7. deal — to handle
  8. spell — magic
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. spell — letters
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. can — to be able to
  19. root — the cause
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — happy
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. spell — a short time

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