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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: firm · pitch · mouse · ball · court · suit · stem · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. suit — clothes
  4. ball — a great time
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. suit — to fit
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. stem — to come from
  9. pitch — completely
  10. lean — to bend
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. firm — steady
  14. court — of a king
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — a company
  17. court — of law
  18. ball — a dance
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. court — for sport
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. suit — in cards
  24. stem — of a plant

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