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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 116 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: wave · bulb · rock · cap · pitch · squash · can · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. squash — the sport
  6. race — humankind
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. can — a tin
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. cap — a lid
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. race — a contest
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bulb — for light
  16. can — to be able to
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a hat
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. can — a tin
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rock — music

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