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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: pitcher · file · net · craft · root · race · arm · safe

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. craft — boats
  3. root — of a plant
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. race — the arms race
  9. file — a tool
  10. craft — a skill
  11. file — a line of people
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. net — after costs
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. race — humankind
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — in sport
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. file — a document
  23. root — the cause
  24. race — a contest

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