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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: roll · current · snap · chair · chip · swing · object · root

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. chip — for betting
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. swing — to play on
  6. current — electric
  7. chair — a leader
  8. root — of a plant
  9. object — to protest
  10. roll — a list
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. current — of water
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. object — a thing
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. roll — a cake
  18. swing — in golf
  19. chip — to eat
  20. object — an aim
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a word
  23. current — happening now
  24. chair — to sit on

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