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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: pitch · vault · mouse · press · content · wound · rock · wax

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. rock — music
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. rock — a stone
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. wound — an injury
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. wound — an injury
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pitch — completely
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. content — the amount
  20. wax — to grow
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. press — to push
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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