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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 · deal · chip · present · nail · ruler · season · date

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. deal — to handle
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. present — a gift
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. present — the time now
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. shower — to wash
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. season — in sport
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. shower — rain
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. present — there

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