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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: shower · hand · mouse · deal · hide · rash · root · pitch

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. root — of a plant
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. shower — to wash
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. root — of a word
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. deal — to handle
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. hand — help
  20. shower — rain
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. root — the cause
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — a series

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