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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 120 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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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 · root · rock · coach · cell · squash · bay · ground

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. cell — in biology
  3. squash — to crush
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — crushed
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rock — music
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. root — the cause
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. ground — a position
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. root — of a word
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — a stone
  24. cell — a phone

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