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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pit — a hole
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. club — for dancing
  6. root — of a word
  7. pitch — completely
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. root — the cause
  11. pit — in a race
  12. club — for golf
  13. fine — high quality
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. club — a group
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. wax — to grow
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. root — of a plant

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