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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: root · track · wound · jam · pit · suit · sharp · bear

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bear — the animal
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. pit — a hole
  8. sharp — clever
  9. root — the cause
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bear — the animal
  14. root — of a word
  15. wound — an injury
  16. track — a song
  17. suit — clothes
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. root — of a plant
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. track — to keep track
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. track — a path
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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