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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: cap · root · bark · suit · snap · key · bowl · spell

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — to fit
  3. spell — letters
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. spell — magic
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. cap — of ice
  10. spell — a short time
  11. root — of a word
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. root — of a plant
  14. snap — to click
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. suit — in cards
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cap — a lid
  19. key — the most important part
  20. root — the cause
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bark — to shout
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. key — in music

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