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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: safe · stock · pit · scale · clip · root · mate · temple

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. root — of a plant
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. mate — to breed
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. scale — in music
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. clip — to cut
  9. pit — a hole
  10. mate — a friend
  11. stock — goods
  12. scale — size or range
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mate — a partner
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a word
  19. pit — in a race
  20. clip — a video
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. clip — for paper

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