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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: racket · wind · mouse · ball · sharp · press · mate · pitch

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. press — newspapers
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wind — moving air
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — clever
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. press — a publisher
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. mate — a partner
  20. press — to push
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — to breed
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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