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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 · pound · board · march · prune · patient · rule · mate

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. prune — to trim
  3. board — to get on
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. march — the month
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a friend
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. pound — a weight
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rule — a law
  20. mate — a partner
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. stem — to come from
  24. rule — government

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