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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: wax · press · staff · prune · mark · wake · squash · pitch

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. 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. squash — the sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. mark — a grade
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pitch — completely
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. staff — employees
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wake — a trail
  15. press — to push
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wax — to grow
  19. press — newspapers
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. prune — to trim
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. 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