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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: root · season · cue · pass · field · mouse · trunk · snap

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. field — a subject
  6. cue — a hint
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. root — of a plant
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. season — of the year
  13. snap — to click
  14. field — for sport
  15. root — of a word
  16. cue — a signal
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. cue — for pool
  19. season — in sport
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. field — farmland
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. root — the cause

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