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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. deal — to handle
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bear — the animal
  5. clip — to cut
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. root — of a plant
  9. clip — for paper
  10. chip — to eat
  11. clip — a video
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. swing — in golf
  14. rock — a stone
  15. net — after costs
  16. root — of a word
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — for catching
  20. root — the cause
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bear — the animal
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rock — 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