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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: perch · bowl · root · key · land · bank · lie · spell

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. lie — to recline
  3. spell — letters
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bank — for money
  8. key — for a lock
  9. root — of a word
  10. land — a country
  11. key — in music
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. root — of a plant
  15. spell — magic
  16. land — ground
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bank — of a river
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. land — to come down
  22. root — the cause
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bank — for money

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