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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: swing · mine · root · arm · saw · cue · firm · bass

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. swing — to play on
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. cue — for pool
  5. firm — decided
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. root — of a plant
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. swing — music
  15. root — the cause
  16. saw — the tool
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mine — for digging
  19. cue — a signal
  20. firm — a company
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. firm — steady
  23. cue — a hint
  24. saw — the tool

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