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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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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: plane · season · prune · ball · bowl · suit · squash · root

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. season — in sport
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. root — of a plant
  8. suit — in cards
  9. season — of the year
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. plane — a tool
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. ball — a great time
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. prune — to trim
  16. suit — clothes
  17. prune — to trim
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a word
  24. ball — a dance

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