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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: bank · key · deal · mate · ball · squash · pitch · shower

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  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. bank — for money
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. squash — the sport
  4. mate — a friend
  5. squash — to crush
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pitch — completely
  8. shower — to wash
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bank — of a river
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bank — for money
  15. mate — to breed
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. shower — rain
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — in music
  20. ball — a great time
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. deal — to handle
  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