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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: pitch · ground · court · pop · stem · pound · rock · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. pitch — completely
  3. stem — to come from
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. ground — crushed
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. court — of law
  8. pop — soda
  9. rock — a stone
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. ground — the earth
  13. pop — music
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. mark — a grade
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — music
  20. pound — a weight
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — for sport
  23. ground — a position
  24. pound — for dogs

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