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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: bank · wound · chip · snap · root · date · swing · object

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. object — a thing
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. root — the cause
  6. chip — to eat
  7. wound — an injury
  8. date — the fruit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. object — an aim
  12. swing — in golf
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. object — to protest
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. root — of a word
  19. bank — for money
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. swing — music
  24. wound — an injury

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