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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: degree · pit · rush · safe · present · ground · foot · root

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. present — the time now
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — from a university
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. root — the cause
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — a position
  13. root — of a word
  14. present — there
  15. degree — an amount
  16. ground — crushed
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. present — a gift
  19. root — of a plant
  20. pit — in a race
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. rush — hurry
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — the bottom

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