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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: bass · cue · prune · season · ball · wake · track · trunk

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. season — in sport
  3. cue — a signal
  4. ball — a great time
  5. wake — a trail
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. ball — a dance
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bass — the fish
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cue — for pool
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. track — a song
  19. track — to keep track
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cue — a hint
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bass — low music

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