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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: stand · pitch · lean · season · suit · racket · trunk · tear

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. suit — clothes
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. tear — from crying
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. suit — to fit
  10. season — of the year
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. tear — to rip
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. season — in sport
  15. pitch — completely
  16. lean — to bend
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. suit — in cards
  19. lean — thin
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. tear — from crying
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. stand — to bear

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