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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: bowl · fall · plane · field · band · row · pop · deal

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. fall — to drop
  6. field — for sport
  7. band — a music group
  8. plane — a tool
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. field — a subject
  13. fall — to drop
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pop — music
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. pop — soda
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. field — farmland
  20. band — a ring
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. row — a line
  24. fall — the season

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