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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: key · cue · staff · trunk · spell · suit · deal · bark

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. staff — employees
  3. deal — to handle
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. staff — a stick
  6. suit — in cards
  7. cue — a signal
  8. staff — employees
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — in music
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. key — for a lock
  19. suit — clothes
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — magic
  23. suit — to fit
  24. cue — for pool

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