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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 116 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. race — the arms race
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. race — humankind
  5. squash — to crush
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. press — to push
  8. press — newspapers
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. press — a publisher
  11. wax — to grow
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wound — an injury
  18. key — in music
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pitch — completely
  22. squash — the sport
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. race — a contest

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