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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: club · craft · cap · ground · ruler · stem

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. 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. ruler — a monarch
  2. club — for dancing
  3. ground — crushed
  4. club — a group
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cap — a lid
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cap — a hat
  10. ground — a position
  11. craft — boats
  12. club — for golf
  13. stem — to come from
  14. ground — the earth
  15. craft — a skill
  16. cap — of ice
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. 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