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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 116 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: pitcher · face · root · board · wake · safe · pound · race

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. race — humankind
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. root — of a word
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. wake — a trail
  9. root — of a plant
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. board — a committee
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. face — to point toward
  19. race — the arms race
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. root — the cause
  22. face — to confront
  23. board — to get on
  24. race — a contest

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