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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: ground · safe · track · foot · capital · bore · tear · pit

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bore — to tire
  8. ground — the earth
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. tear — from crying
  11. capital — a city
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. ground — a position
  14. pit — a hole
  15. capital — money
  16. tear — from crying
  17. track — a path
  18. track — a song
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bore — to drill
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. track — to keep track
  24. foot — a measure

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