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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: kick · cap · bound · lean · pitch · tube · season · suit

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. season — of the year
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bound — certain
  8. kick — in football
  9. season — in sport
  10. bound — obliged
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — thin
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pitch — completely
  17. cap — of ice
  18. suit — in cards
  19. tube — a container
  20. cap — a hat
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bound — tied together
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — with a leg

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