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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: game · track · spell · season · board · prune · rush · mouse

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. prune — to trim
  4. spell — magic
  5. board — to get on
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. track — a song
  8. prune — to trim
  9. track — to keep track
  10. game — wild animals
  11. season — of the year
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. board — a committee
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. track — a path
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. spell — a short time
  21. season — in sport
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. spell — letters
  24. game — a match

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