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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 · bear · track · suit · temple · mark · pound · deal

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bear — the animal
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. suit — clothes
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. track — a song
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. root — the cause
  12. deal — to handle
  13. root — of a word
  14. pound — a weight
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — a grade
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. track — a path
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bear — the animal
  23. root — of a plant
  24. deal — a big deal

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