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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: bank · bat · bowl · shower · leaves · fork · deal · firm

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. firm — steady
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. firm — a company
  11. bank — for money
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. fork — in a road
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. shower — rain
  21. deal — to handle
  22. firm — decided
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bat — in an idiom

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