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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: staff · stem · rest · march · board · ruler

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. march — the month
  4. staff — employees
  5. rest — what's left
  6. staff — employees
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. rest — a break
  10. board — to get on
  11. rest — what's left
  12. board — a committee
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stem — to come from
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. ruler — a monarch

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