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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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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: suit · bowl · snap · deal · root · bass · spell · tear

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — the fish
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bass — low music
  8. suit — clothes
  9. root — of a word
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. spell — magic
  16. root — of a plant
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. snap — to click
  21. root — the cause
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. deal — to handle
  24. suit — to fit

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