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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: key · court · cap · spell · band · cabinet · racket · root

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. band — a ring
  3. key — for a lock
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. spell — a short time
  6. court — of a king
  7. spell — letters
  8. cap — a lid
  9. key — the most important part
  10. root — the cause
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. band — a music group
  13. spell — magic
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. court — for sport
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. court — of law
  21. cap — a hat
  22. root — of a word
  23. key — in music
  24. root — of a plant

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