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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: safe · root · track · last · jam · cell · pit · temple

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. track — a song
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. root — of a word
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. last — final
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. last — to go on
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. root — the cause
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pit — in a race
  15. last — finally
  16. cell — in biology
  17. track — a path
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. track — to keep track
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. cell — a phone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. safe — out of danger

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