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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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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: root · wound · safe · scale · foot · degree · bowl · fine

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. root — of a plant
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. scale — in music
  6. fine — all right
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. degree — an amount
  21. root — the cause
  22. degree — temperature
  23. fine — high quality
  24. root — of a word

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