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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 · lean · board · stem · tear · foot · ground · temple

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pitch — completely
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. foot — a measure
  7. ground — crushed
  8. stem — to come from
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. lean — thin
  11. tear — from crying
  12. board — a committee
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. board — to get on
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. tear — to rip
  17. ground — a position
  18. tear — from crying
  19. ground — the earth
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. lean — to bend
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. stem — a stem cell

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