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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: ruler · race · stand · prune · club · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. race — a contest
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. prune — to trim
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — humankind
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. club — for golf

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