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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: root · toast · safe · court · present · rock · kid · clip

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. root — of a plant
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. clip — to cut
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. rock — a stone
  8. kid — to tease
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. root — of a word
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of a king
  14. toast — bread
  15. clip — for paper
  16. present — the time now
  17. clip — a video
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. court — of law
  20. root — the cause
  21. present — a gift
  22. rock — music
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. kid — child

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