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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: shower · bank · ball · clip · jam · roll · deal · craft

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bank — for money
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. clip — for paper
  7. ball — a dance
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. shower — rain
  10. ball — a great time
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bank — for money
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. roll — a cake
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bank — of a river
  18. roll — a list
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — to cut
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. craft — boats
  24. shower — to wash

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