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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: jam · cue · bore · spring · court · club · chest · press

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. press — to push
  4. spring — a coil
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. cue — a hint
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. press — newspapers
  9. court — of a king
  10. club — a group
  11. chest — of your body
  12. spring — the season
  13. court — for sport
  14. press — a publisher
  15. spring — of water
  16. chest — of your body
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bore — to tire
  19. club — for golf
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. chest — a box
  24. court — of law

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