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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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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: tear · safe · foot · capital · roll · mark · pitch · hide

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. tear — to rip
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. capital — money
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. roll — a list
  13. tear — from crying
  14. roll — a cake
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. foot — a measure
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. mark — a grade
  20. capital — a city
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. mark — a trace
  24. tear — from crying

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