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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 116 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: lean · root · tube · pitch · safe · bowl · capital · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. file — a tool
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. tube — the underground
  8. root — of a word
  9. pitch — completely
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. tube — a container
  12. root — of a plant
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. file — a document
  16. root — the cause
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. capital — money
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. lean — thin
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. lean — to bend
  24. capital — a city

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