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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 116 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: march · bowl · lie · root · stem · swing · chip · pound

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. march — music
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. root — of a plant
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. march — the month
  9. chip — for betting
  10. stem — to come from
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. swing — music
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. root — of a word
  15. march — the month
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. swing — in golf
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. swing — to play on
  22. root — the cause
  23. pound — a weight
  24. lie — an untruth

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