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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.

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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: bass · spell · root · bark · rush · key · ball · fall

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. key — the most important part
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. spell — letters
  9. key — for a lock
  10. root — of a word
  11. bark — to shout
  12. root — the cause
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bass — low music
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. ball — a dance
  22. fall — the season
  23. spell — magic
  24. bass — the fish

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