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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: capital · jam · root · pitch · bay · arm · safe · lash

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — money
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. root — of a word
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. pitch — completely
  19. root — the cause
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. arm — part of the body

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