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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · spell · key · net · bowl · pop · jam · game

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. pop — to visit
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. spell — magic
  12. root — the cause
  13. game — a match
  14. net — for catching
  15. root — of a plant
  16. net — after costs
  17. key — in music
  18. pop — soda
  19. net — in sport
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. root — of a word
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pop — 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