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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: safe · swing · ground · fine · calf · file · coach · root

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. root — of a plant
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a line of people
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. ground — the earth
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — music
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. root — the cause
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — all right
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. swing — in golf
  24. root — of a word

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