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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: court · firm · suit · fall · trunk · pitch · wound · lean

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. suit — to fit
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. firm — decided
  7. court — for sport
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. lean — to bend
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. wound — an injury
  13. suit — in cards
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. court — of law
  18. suit — clothes
  19. firm — a company
  20. court — of a king
  21. fall — to drop
  22. lean — thin
  23. firm — steady
  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