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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: stand · bear · tear · bay · cabinet · pitch · march · stem

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. march — music
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. pitch — completely
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bear — the animal
  12. march — the month
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. march — the month
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. tear — from crying
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bear — the animal

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