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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: bass · can · race · press · mouse · object · pitch · net

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. net — in sport
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. object — a thing
  5. can — a tin
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. object — an aim
  10. net — for catching
  11. bass — the fish
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. can — a tin
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — humankind
  18. race — a contest
  19. pitch — completely
  20. can — to be able to
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. press — newspapers
  23. net — after costs
  24. mouse — the animal

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