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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: root · fall · swing · bowl · chip · cabinet · jam · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. swing — to play on
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. swing — music
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — of a word
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. chip — for betting
  17. fall — to drop
  18. chip — to eat
  19. fall — the season
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. root — the cause

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