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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: field · spell · pop · temple · mate · board · stem · rush

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. pop — soda
  4. board — to get on
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. field — farmland
  10. pop — to visit
  11. spell — magic
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — a subject
  14. pop — music
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stem — to come from
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — to breed
  21. spell — letters
  22. board — a committee
  23. spell — a short time
  24. stem — of a plant

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