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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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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: pitch · wind · wake · cell · pop · mouse

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. cell — a phone
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pop — to visit
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pop — music
  14. pitch — completely
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pop — soda
  18. pitch — a sales talk

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