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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ground · stem · pitch · row · chip · temple · bear · can

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. can — a tin
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. ground — a position
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. pitch — completely
  11. row — a line
  12. stem — to come from
  13. can — a tin
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bear — the animal
  16. ground — crushed
  17. can — to be able to
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. chip — to eat
  20. row — to paddle
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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