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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: mate · squash · suit · court · pitch · bear · lean · racket

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. lean — to bend
  3. pitch — completely
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. court — of a king
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — clothes
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. suit — to fit
  14. mate — to breed
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — a friend
  20. squash — the sport
  21. court — of law
  22. court — for sport
  23. lean — thin
  24. bear — the animal

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