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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: drill · temple · arm · bat · charge · jam · swing · root

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. swing — music
  3. root — the cause
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — the tool
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. charge — a price
  8. root — of a word
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bat — the animal
  13. charge — in control
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. swing — to play on
  20. drill — a practice
  21. root — of a plant
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. charge — electricity
  24. swing — in golf

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