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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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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: pitch · wake · march · rash · racket · stem · temple · firm

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. stem — to come from
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. march — music
  7. firm — steady
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. firm — a company
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. rash — hasty
  17. march — the month
  18. march — the month
  19. pitch — completely
  20. firm — decided
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. temple — a place of worship

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