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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 116 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: squash · press · trunk · prune · ball · mate · cue · bass

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. press — to push
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bass — low music
  5. ball — a dance
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — a hint
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. press — a publisher
  15. prune — to trim
  16. squash — to crush
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. mate — to breed
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cue — for pool
  22. mate — a partner
  23. ball — a great time
  24. squash — the sport

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