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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: bass · arm · court · drill · charge · root · wind · file

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. file — a line of people
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. court — of a king
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. drill — the tool
  11. court — for sport
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. drill — army training
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. file — a document
  16. bass — low music
  17. court — of law
  18. root — the cause
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bass — the fish
  22. file — a tool
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — electricity

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