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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 120 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: season · wake · mouse · snap · board · prune · track · cabinet

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. season — of the year
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. prune — to trim
  7. season — in sport
  8. wake — a trail
  9. prune — to trim
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. board — a committee
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. track — a path
  23. snap — to click
  24. season — to add flavour

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