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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: pit · can · swing · pop · patient · snap · arm · root

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. can — to be able to
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pop — music
  9. can — a tin
  10. root — of a plant
  11. swing — to play on
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. swing — music
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. swing — in golf
  16. pit — a hole
  17. can — a tin
  18. root — the cause
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — soda
  22. root — of a word
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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