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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: safe · kick · field · root · toast · vault · march · pitch

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. field — for sport
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. march — music
  7. pitch — completely
  8. vault — a safe
  9. march — the month
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — a subject
  13. root — of a word
  14. toast — bread
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. kick — in football
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. root — of a plant
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. march — the month
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. safe — a strongbox

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