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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: pitch · bank · stem · rest · rock · march · root · toast

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. toast — bread
  3. root — of a plant
  4. march — the month
  5. rest — a break
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. stem — to come from
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. rock — music
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. root — the cause
  14. march — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. march — the month
  17. root — of a word
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. pitch — completely
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. rock — a stone

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