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

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. race — a contest
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. race — humankind
  10. club — a group
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pass — a permit
  14. kick — in football
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. club — for dancing
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. race — the arms race
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. club — for golf
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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