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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: ground · trunk · season · jam · safe · ball · cue · stand

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. ground — a position
  3. cue — a signal
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. ball — a dance
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ground — crushed
  11. cue — for pool
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — to bear
  18. cue — a hint
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. season — in sport
  24. safe — out of danger

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