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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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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: game · rock · tear · calf · pitch · root · wound · safe

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. root — of a plant
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a word
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. tear — to rip
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rock — a stone
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. wound — an injury
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pitch — completely
  23. game — a match
  24. game — wild animals

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