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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: stick · root · scale · safe · content · wake · cap · swing

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. root — of a plant
  8. swing — to play on
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. cap — a hat
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. scale — in music
  13. content — the amount
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — music
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cap — of ice
  18. scale — size or range
  19. root — of a word
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. cap — a lid
  22. content — happy
  23. wake — a trail
  24. root — the cause

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