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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: safe · pitch · root · fine · row · kick · mate · track

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. track — to keep track
  3. root — of a plant
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. mate — to breed
  6. fine — high quality
  7. mate — a friend
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a word
  10. row — a line
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. pitch — completely
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. mate — a partner
  16. track — a song
  17. track — a path
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — to paddle
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. fine — all right
  24. safe — out of danger

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