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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 · game · prune · root · wind · pop · dip · nail

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. root — of a plant
  4. swing — in golf
  5. root — the cause
  6. wind — moving air
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. prune — to trim
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — music
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. prune — to trim
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. root — of a word
  15. game — wild animals
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. game — a match
  18. dip — to sink
  19. pop — soda
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. pop — music
  24. wind — moving air

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