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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 116 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: ruler · rash · board · land · fine · drill · pitcher · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rash — hasty
  4. land — to come down
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. drill — a practice
  7. fine — all right
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rash — a series
  10. drill — army training
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. drill — the tool
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. land — ground
  15. fine — high quality
  16. land — a country
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. board — to get on
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. board — a committee
  22. stem — to come from
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. board — a flat piece

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