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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: ground · staff · rule · game · stem · bore · board · firm

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. firm — a company
  3. board — to get on
  4. bore — to tire
  5. rule — a law
  6. firm — decided
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. rule — government
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. staff — employees
  13. ground — the earth
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. stem — to come from
  16. ground — crushed
  17. firm — steady
  18. game — a match
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bore — to drill
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. board — a committee
  24. ground — a position

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