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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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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: jam · pound · file · roll · root · swing · object · club

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. roll — a list
  3. swing — in golf
  4. root — of a plant
  5. club — for dancing
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. club — for golf
  8. object — a thing
  9. swing — to play on
  10. file — a tool
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. object — to protest
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. swing — music
  15. object — an aim
  16. pound — a weight
  17. roll — a cake
  18. file — a line of people
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. file — a document
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. root — the cause
  24. club — a group

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