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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 · shower · stem · mouse · field · root · temple · pit

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stem — to come from
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. shower — to wash
  6. pitch — completely
  7. root — of a word
  8. shower — rain
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — farmland
  12. root — the cause
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pit — a hole
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. field — for sport
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. root — of a plant
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pit — in a race
  23. mouse — for a computer
  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