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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: calf · stock · root · capital · safe · last · pit · nail

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. root — of a word
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stock — goods
  6. capital — money
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. last — finally
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. last — final
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. stock — shares
  18. last — to go on
  19. root — the cause
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. capital — a city
  22. root — of a plant
  23. pit — in a race
  24. stock — a soup base

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