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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: arm · mouse · bay · swing · roll · spell · drill · pit

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. pit — a hole
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. pit — in a race
  6. roll — a list
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. swing — in golf
  9. drill — the tool
  10. spell — a short time
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. swing — to play on
  16. spell — letters
  17. drill — a practice
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. spell — magic
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. drill — army training
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. arm — a part of something

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