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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: bank · stick · field · root · pop · key · coach · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. key — for a lock
  3. spell — letters
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pop — to visit
  7. spell — magic
  8. field — for sport
  9. key — the most important part
  10. root — the cause
  11. bank — of a river
  12. field — farmland
  13. key — in music
  14. pop — soda
  15. field — a subject
  16. root — of a word
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bank — for money
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bank — for money
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pop — music
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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