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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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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: firm · pop · fine · roll · bay · root · swing · race

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. firm — steady
  3. pop — soda
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. root — of a word
  6. roll — a cake
  7. swing — to play on
  8. firm — decided
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. fine — high quality
  12. root — the cause
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. swing — in golf
  15. fine — all right
  16. race — humankind
  17. roll — a list
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — the arms race
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. firm — a company
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — music
  24. root — of a plant

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