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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 116 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
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: sharp · bear · pound · root · snap · can · season · track

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. can — a tin
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. root — of a word
  5. bear — the animal
  6. season — in sport
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. track — a path
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pound — a weight
  11. sharp — clever
  12. track — to keep track
  13. can — to be able to
  14. root — of a plant
  15. snap — to click
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. can — a tin
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. track — a song
  23. season — of the year
  24. root — the cause

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