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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 116 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 · stem · court · tear · pound · leaves · wake · ruler

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. tear — to rip
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. wake — a trail
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of law
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — from crying
  24. ruler — a monarch

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