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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: charge · jam · arm · trunk · pitcher · kid · drill · vault

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. charge — in control
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. kid — to tease
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. kid — child
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. drill — army training
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. charge — a price
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. vault — a safe
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. arm — part of the body

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