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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 · land · pitcher · snap · pass · safe · root · bass

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. pass — a permit
  6. foot — a measure
  7. land — ground
  8. root — the cause
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. snap — to click
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bass — the fish
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. land — to come down
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. land — a country
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bass — low music

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