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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 120 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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. club — a group
  3. root — the cause
  4. chip — to eat
  5. root — of a plant
  6. swing — to play on
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. root — of a word
  9. snap — to click
  10. bound — obliged
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. club — for golf
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bear — the animal
  21. swing — in golf
  22. chip — for betting
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bound — certain

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