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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.

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: mouse · nail · mate · object · field · fall · root · pop

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. object — to protest
  3. field — for sport
  4. pop — music
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. fall — the season
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mate — a friend
  10. root — the cause
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pop — soda
  14. root — of a plant
  15. fall — to drop
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. field — a subject
  18. object — a thing
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. object — an aim
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. field — farmland
  24. root — of a word

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