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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: rock · roll · pit · drill · straw · root · mouse · jam

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. rock — music
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — a practice
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. root — of a word
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. roll — a cake
  17. pit — a hole
  18. root — of a plant
  19. rock — a stone
  20. root — the cause
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. pit — in a race
  23. roll — a list
  24. mouse — the animal

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