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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: root · bowl · drill · deal · chip · ball · can · fall

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. root — of a word
  4. fall — the season
  5. can — a tin
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. root — the cause
  8. chip — for betting
  9. fall — to drop
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. drill — the tool
  12. deal — to handle
  13. chip — to eat
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. root — of a plant
  19. ball — a dance
  20. fall — to drop
  21. drill — army training
  22. ball — a great time
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. drill — a practice

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