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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: wound · fan · foot · pitch · coach · lean · stick · file

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. lean — thin
  3. wound — an injury
  4. file — a document
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. lean — to bend
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pitch — completely
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a tool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wound — an injury
  24. foot — a measure

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