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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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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 · pitch · stem · race · ground · ruler

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. staff — a stick
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — humankind
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — the earth
  8. staff — employees
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ground — a position
  13. pitch — completely
  14. staff — employees
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stem — to come from
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. race — the arms race

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