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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · pitcher · mug · stem · tear · march · press · degree

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — completely
  4. march — the month
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. mug — to rob
  7. tear — from crying
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. degree — an amount
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. press — newspapers
  12. degree — temperature
  13. march — the month
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. press — a publisher
  16. degree — from a university
  17. press — to push
  18. stem — to come from
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. mug — a cup
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. march — music

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