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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
468
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 · mouse · press · capital · pit · wake · wax · sharp

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. capital — a city
  4. press — to push
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. capital — money
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wake — a trail
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. press — a publisher
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. sharp — clever
  14. wax — to grow
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pit — in a race
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. pitch — completely

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