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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: swing · jam · bat · scale · suit · drill · roll · trunk

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. roll — a list
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. swing — music
  8. suit — clothes
  9. drill — the tool
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bat — the animal
  17. suit — to fit
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. drill — army training
  21. swing — to play on
  22. drill — a practice
  23. scale — in music
  24. trunk — of a car

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