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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 · game · suit · can · press · field · pitch · wave

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. suit — in cards
  3. game — a match
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. press — newspapers
  10. can — a tin
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. field — for sport
  15. suit — to fit
  16. field — a subject
  17. pitch — completely
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. field — farmland
  20. suit — clothes
  21. press — to push
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. can — to be able to
  24. press — a publisher

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