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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: mouse · capital · wave · safe · chip · pop · pitch · press

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. press — to push
  4. pop — to visit
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. capital — money
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pop — music
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pop — soda
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pitch — completely
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. press — newspapers
  24. chip — for betting

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