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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.

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: squash · deal · bowl · land · mug · charge · root · shower

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. root — the cause
  3. land — ground
  4. land — a country
  5. root — of a plant
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — to rob
  8. charge — in control
  9. shower — rain
  10. root — of a word
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. charge — a price
  13. mug — a face
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. shower — to wash
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. land — to come down
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. deal — to handle
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — to crush

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