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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: craft · present · bear · content · pound · root · snap · track

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. track — a path
  4. present — a gift
  5. track — a song
  6. content — happy
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bear — the animal
  10. root — the cause
  11. content — the amount
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. present — there
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. root — of a plant
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. pound — a weight
  18. craft — a skill
  19. root — of a word
  20. snap — to click
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. craft — boats
  24. track — to keep track

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