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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: firm · jam · rash · content · press · pitch · row · cue

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — a publisher
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. press — to push
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — a signal
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. firm — a company
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. rash — a series
  14. content — happy
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. row — to paddle
  18. rash — hasty
  19. firm — decided
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — the amount
  22. cue — for pool
  23. firm — steady
  24. rash — on the skin

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