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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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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pit — a hole
  4. root — the cause
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. root — of a word
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pit — in a race
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. rush — hurry
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. wax — to grow
  21. root — of a plant
  22. pitch — completely
  23. toast — bread
  24. wax — for sculpting

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