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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 · ground · firm · wound · root · current · stand · march

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. current — happening now
  3. firm — decided
  4. ground — the earth
  5. march — the month
  6. root — the cause
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. ground — crushed
  9. firm — a company
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. root — of a plant
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pitch — completely
  18. current — of water
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. ground — a position
  21. root — of a word
  22. current — electric
  23. stand — to bear
  24. pitch — a sports field

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