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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 · pitch · bear · calf · court · pound · ground · bulb

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. ground — crushed
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. ground — a position
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. court — of law
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of a king
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stem — to come from

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