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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · mine · jam · root · file · kid · suit · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. mine — for digging
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. root — the cause
  5. track — a path
  6. track — a song
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. root — of a plant
  10. file — a tool
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. suit — clothes
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. file — a document
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. file — a line of people
  19. net — for catching
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — to fit
  22. kid — to tease
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. root — of a word

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