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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: pitcher · deal · ruler · root · shower · saw · degree · fan

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. shower — to wash
  5. degree — an amount
  6. root — of a word
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. root — the cause
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. degree — temperature
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. shower — rain
  15. root — of a plant
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. deal — to handle
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. degree — from a university

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