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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: safe · capital · craft · foot · root · rush · fine · stock

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. root — the cause
  3. stock — goods
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — shares
  9. craft — boats
  10. foot — a measure
  11. capital — a city
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. capital — money
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — of a plant
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. craft — a skill
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — high quality

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