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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: march · arm · chip · bulb · drill · date · jam · cap

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. march — the month
  5. drill — the tool
  6. march — the month
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. march — music
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chip — for betting
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. chip — to eat
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. date — the fruit
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bulb — for light
  24. drill — army training

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