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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: foot · pitch · safe · fan · tube · sharp · trunk · bank

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — the underground
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bank — for money
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bank — of a river
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — completely
  18. sharp — clever
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bank — for money
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. fan — a supporter

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