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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: game · stick · ruler · squash · present · stem · fork · tear

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. tear — from crying
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. tear — from crying
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. tear — to rip
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. squash — to crush
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. present — the time now
  17. game — a match
  18. game — wild animals
  19. present — there
  20. fork — in a road
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. squash — the sport
  24. present — a gift

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