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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 116 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: pitcher · rule · field · lean · kick · root · safe · vault

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lean — to bend
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. root — of a word
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. lean — thin
  7. field — a subject
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. field — farmland
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. rule — government
  13. kick — in football
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rule — a law
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. vault — a safe
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. root — the cause
  21. field — for sport
  22. root — of a plant
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. lean — to rest against

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