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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: mate · pound · suit · plane · pop · board · field · band

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. board — to get on
  3. suit — to fit
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. board — a committee
  6. pop — soda
  7. suit — in cards
  8. band — a music group
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. pop — music
  14. band — a ring
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — a subject
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — a tool
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — a weight
  22. suit — clothes
  23. field — for sport
  24. pop — to visit

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