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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: swing · pound · current · roll · tube · rest · root · spell

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. swing — music
  3. current — electric
  4. spell — letters
  5. rest — a break
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — a short time
  8. root — of a plant
  9. tube — a container
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. roll — a cake
  12. tube — the underground
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — the cause
  15. rest — what's left
  16. current — happening now
  17. swing — in golf
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. swing — to play on
  22. pound — a weight
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pound — to hit hard

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