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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: kid · lean · pitch · bound · bulb · suit · leaves · ground

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. suit — to fit
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bound — certain
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. suit — in cards
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. suit — clothes
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. lean — thin
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. ground — a position
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bound — tied together
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bulb — for light
  24. lean — to bend

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