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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: roll · ground · stem · object · tear · march · bore · pitch

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. tear — to rip
  3. march — music
  4. ground — a position
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — to protest
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. ground — the earth
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — a cake
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. march — the month
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bore — to drill
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. object — a thing
  23. march — the month
  24. pitch — completely

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