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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — completely
  6. wax — to grow
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. tube — the underground
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. press — to push
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. press — newspapers
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. press — a publisher
  16. tube — a container
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. rush — hurry
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. trunk — of a car

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