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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: field · plane · mouse · pop · mate · board · root · fan

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. pop — soda
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. field — for sport
  8. root — of a word
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. root — of a plant
  12. mate — to breed
  13. board — to get on
  14. field — a subject
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. root — the cause
  17. pop — to visit
  18. board — a committee
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. mate — a friend
  21. field — farmland
  22. plane — a tool
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fan — to cool the air

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