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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 120 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: root · pitch · safe · bank · track · chest · stand · content

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. track — to keep track
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. track — a song
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. root — of a plant
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bank — for money
  16. content — the amount
  17. root — of a word
  18. track — a path
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. content — happy
  23. chest — a box
  24. root — the cause

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