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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · safe · march · dip · swing · spell · date · root

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. march — the month
  3. spell — magic
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. root — of a word
  6. net — in sport
  7. dip — to sink
  8. march — the month
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — for catching
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. root — the cause
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — letters
  16. swing — in golf
  17. march — music
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. date — the fruit
  21. root — of a plant
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — 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