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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
468
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 · squash · field · pop · charge · season · rock · mate

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. field — a subject
  3. charge — a price
  4. plane — a tool
  5. season — of the year
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — for sport
  9. squash — the sport
  10. charge — in control
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pop — soda
  14. season — in sport
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pop — to visit
  17. mate — a partner
  18. rock — a stone
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. mate — a friend
  21. squash — to crush
  22. charge — electricity
  23. pop — music
  24. rock — music

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