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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: chip · rush · bass · club · root · row · swing · cold

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. root — of a plant
  4. chip — to eat
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. swing — in golf
  7. rush — hurry
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. root — the cause
  11. bass — the fish
  12. club — for dancing
  13. cold — an illness
  14. swing — music
  15. row — to paddle
  16. cold — not warm
  17. club — a group
  18. bass — low music
  19. root — of a word
  20. chip — for betting
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. club — for golf
  23. row — a line
  24. rush — to hurry

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