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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: content · cue · race · row · pitch · track · foot · press

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. content — happy
  3. cue — a signal
  4. race — humankind
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. track — a song
  7. content — the amount
  8. row — to paddle
  9. track — a path
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. cue — for pool
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. row — a line
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. race — a contest
  16. press — to push
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. track — to keep track
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pitch — completely
  22. foot — a measure
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. cue — a hint

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