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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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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: pound · chair · root · pitch · content · rest · safe · fine

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. pound — a weight
  3. content — happy
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. root — the cause
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. chair — a leader
  11. root — of a word
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pitch — completely
  16. fine — all right
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rest — a break
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. content — the amount
  22. root — of a plant
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. fine — high quality

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