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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
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: season · mouse · fork · snap · prune · spring · pass · ball

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — the season
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. season — of the year
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. season — in sport
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ball — a dance
  18. spring — a coil
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. fork — in a road
  21. pass — a permit
  22. ball — a great time
  23. snap — to click
  24. pass — to spend time

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