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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 · wound · bass · mug · file · jam · charge · root

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. drill — a practice
  3. wound — an injury
  4. charge — in control
  5. root — of a plant
  6. file — a tool
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. drill — army training
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. file — a document
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. root — the cause
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. drill — the tool
  18. wound — an injury
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bass — low music
  21. root — of a word
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — a face

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