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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: hand · stem · rest · ground · firm · board · swing · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. rest — what's left
  4. swing — music
  5. present — there
  6. board — to get on
  7. firm — decided
  8. swing — to play on
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. hand — help
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. firm — steady
  15. ground — a position
  16. swing — in golf
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. ground — the earth
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. hand — in cards
  22. present — a gift
  23. ground — crushed
  24. firm — a company

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