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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.

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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: bowl · suit · fine · deal · chip · shower · row · content

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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. deal — a big deal
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. chip — for betting
  4. deal — to handle
  5. content — happy
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. suit — to fit
  12. row — to paddle
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. fine — all right
  17. shower — to wash
  18. content — the amount
  19. row — a line
  20. fine — high quality
  21. shower — rain
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — to eat
  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