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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: spell · spring · root · ball · safe · pitch · cap · straw

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — a coil
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. ball — a great time
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. spell — letters
  8. spring — the season
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. spell — magic
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. root — of a word
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. pitch — completely
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — the cause
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — of ice
  20. spell — a short time
  21. ball — a dance
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cap — a hat

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