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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 116 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 · spell · nail · stock · ground · stem · rock · march

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. march — the month
  3. ground — crushed
  4. march — the month
  5. rock — a stone
  6. ground — a position
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. stock — goods
  9. spell — letters
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. rock — music
  12. stock — shares
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. ground — the earth
  18. pitch — completely
  19. march — music
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — magic
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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