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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: wound · wake · wave · key · race · pitch · pitcher · tube

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. tube — the underground
  3. race — the arms race
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. pitch — completely
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. race — a contest
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. tube — a container
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wound — an injury
  18. key — in music
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — for a lock

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