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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 · date · nail · board · kick · firm · foot · rule

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. kick — in football
  3. firm — decided
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rule — government
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. date — the fruit
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — steady
  14. board — to get on
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. date — on the calendar

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