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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. current — happening now
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. game — a match
  6. root — the cause
  7. squash — to crush
  8. root — of a word
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. root — of a plant
  12. current — of water
  13. swing — to play on
  14. current — electric
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — wild animals
  17. squash — the sport
  18. swing — in golf

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