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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: cap · safe · stand · toast · stick · track · tear · pitcher

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stand — to bear
  3. track — to keep track
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. tear — from crying
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — bread
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. track — a song
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. cap — of ice
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. tear — to rip
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. track — a path

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