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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: can · present · shower · ruler · mouse · fork · rash · deal

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. rash — hasty
  4. shower — rain
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. can — a tin
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. present — the time now
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. present — a gift
  14. can — a tin
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fork — in a road
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. shower — to wash
  22. present — there
  23. rash — a series
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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