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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: prune · rush · snap · bat · cue · chip · ground · season

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. season — in sport
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. ground — a position
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bat — the animal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. cue — for pool
  20. season — of the year
  21. ground — the earth
  22. chip — for betting
  23. cue — a signal
  24. snap — to click

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