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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 120 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: root · pitcher · nail · squash · shower · bank · perch · land

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. land — ground
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bank — of a river
  8. shower — to wash
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. shower — rain
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bank — for money
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. root — the cause
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. land — to come down
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. land — a country
  21. bank — for money
  22. squash — the sport
  23. root — of a word
  24. perch — the fish

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