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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: stem · prune · straw · ruler · cap · game · firm · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. game — a match
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a hat
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. prune — to trim
  9. board — a committee
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stem — to come from
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. cap — a lid
  15. board — to get on
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. game — wild animals
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — a company
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. firm — decided

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