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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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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: deal · pitcher · firm · root · bank · last · ball · shower

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. root — of a word
  3. shower — rain
  4. root — the cause
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. firm — decided
  7. root — of a plant
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. shower — to wash
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. firm — steady
  17. bank — of a river
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. last — to go on
  21. firm — a company
  22. ball — a dance
  23. last — finally
  24. last — final

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