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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 · stem · temple · drill · roll · court · wax · stand

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. stem — to come from
  3. court — for sport
  4. roll — a cake
  5. drill — army training
  6. roll — a list
  7. pitch — completely
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. court — of law
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. court — of a king
  17. drill — the tool
  18. stand — to bear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. drill — a practice

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