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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: nail · mug · track · season · net · rush · board · prune

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. prune — to trim
  3. net — in sport
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. mug — a face
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. board — to get on
  11. track — a song
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. board — a committee
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. mug — to rob
  16. track — a path
  17. track — to keep track
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. mug — a cup
  21. rush — hurry
  22. season — of the year
  23. prune — to trim
  24. nail — for a hammer

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