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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: field · safe · foot · wind · pit · pitch · plane · root

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. root — the cause
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. root — of a word
  7. field — a subject
  8. pit — a hole
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. field — farmland
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wind — moving air
  13. plane — a tool
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. foot — a measure
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. field — for sport
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. pit — in a race
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. root — of a plant

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