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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: dip · stock · kid · root · safe · stand · kick · pitch

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. kid — child
  3. dip — to sink
  4. stock — goods
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. root — of a word
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. root — of a plant
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. kid — to tease
  13. root — the cause
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pitch — completely
  18. stock — shares
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stand — to bear
  24. dip — to dunk

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