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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: root · pit · cap · last · present · safe · cabinet · mine

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. root — the cause
  4. cap — of ice
  5. present — the time now
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mine — for digging
  8. pit — in a race
  9. last — final
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. last — finally
  14. root — of a plant
  15. last — to go on
  16. cap — a lid
  17. pit — a hole
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. cap — a hat
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. present — there
  22. present — a gift
  23. root — of a word
  24. mine — an explosive

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