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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: snap · spell · spring · suit · game · scale · track · calf

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. game — wild animals
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. scale — in music
  6. game — a match
  7. spell — a short time
  8. track — a path
  9. spring — the season
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. track — a song
  12. suit — in cards
  13. scale — size or range
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. suit — to fit
  16. spell — letters
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. spring — a coil
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. suit — clothes
  21. spell — magic
  22. spring — of water
  23. track — to keep track
  24. calf — a young animal

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