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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: rush · jam · root · ball · arm · bass · nail · drill

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. root — of a plant
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. drill — the tool
  8. root — the cause
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. drill — army training
  13. rush — hurry
  14. drill — a practice
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. root — of a word
  18. bass — the fish
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. rush — a thrill

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