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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: content · press · pitch · current · race · mouse · object · key

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. key — the most important part
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. object — to protest
  6. race — the arms race
  7. content — the amount
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. content — happy
  10. key — for a lock
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — to push
  13. object — a thing
  14. current — electric
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. press — a publisher
  17. race — a contest
  18. key — in music
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. object — an aim

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