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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.

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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: stick · suit · leaves · pitch · wound · trunk · season · kid

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. wound — an injury
  3. suit — clothes
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. suit — in cards
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. season — in sport
  9. pitch — completely
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. kid — to tease
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. kid — child
  23. season — of the year
  24. wound — an injury

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