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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: deal · club · saw · last · dip · can · root · shower

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. root — of a plant
  4. club — for golf
  5. shower — rain
  6. dip — to sink
  7. last — to go on
  8. root — of a word
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. shower — to wash
  13. saw — the tool
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. club — for dancing
  17. last — finally
  18. club — a group
  19. can — to be able to
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. root — the cause
  23. last — final
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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