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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: root · bear · safe · swing · roll · pitch · foot · bark

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. root — of a plant
  3. roll — a list
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. root — of a word
  7. pitch — completely
  8. root — the cause
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. swing — music
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — to play on
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bark — to shout
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bear — the animal
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. foot — a measure
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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