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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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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: safe · mine · root · tube · shower · mark · pitch · firm

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. mine — for digging
  6. root — of a plant
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. tube — the underground
  10. mark — a grade
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — rain
  13. root — of a word
  14. firm — decided
  15. shower — to wash
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. firm — steady
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. root — the cause
  20. pitch — completely
  21. firm — a company
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. mark — a trace
  24. tube — a container

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