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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 · root · band · roll · suit · pit · spring · mug

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. swing — to play on
  5. root — of a word
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. band — a music group
  9. spring — of water
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pit — in a race
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. mug — a cup
  14. spring — a coil
  15. root — the cause
  16. suit — clothes
  17. mug — a face
  18. band — a ring
  19. swing — music
  20. spring — the season
  21. roll — a cake
  22. swing — in golf
  23. root — of a plant
  24. mug — to rob

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