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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 116 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: snap · spell · spring · suit · game · scale

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to click
  5. game — a match
  6. spring — the season
  7. suit — to fit
  8. spring — a coil
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. suit — clothes
  12. spell — magic
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. spring — of water
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — letters
  17. game — wild animals
  18. scale — in music

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