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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: plane · bowl · game · pop · wound · march · current · root

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. current — happening now
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pop — music
  5. plane — a tool
  6. root — of a plant
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pop — soda
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. root — the cause
  11. game — wild animals
  12. current — electric
  13. root — of a word
  14. march — music
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. game — a match
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. current — of water
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. march — the month
  24. plane — an aircraft

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