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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: cue · chip · ground · content · cap · lean · bark · press

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bark — to shout
  5. ground — the earth
  6. cue — a signal
  7. ground — a position
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. press — to push
  10. chip — for betting
  11. ground — crushed
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cue — a hint
  16. content — happy
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. content — the amount
  19. cap — of ice
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — newspapers
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — to bend
  24. chip — to eat

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