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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: key · foot · bark · cap · pop · press · cue · race

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bark — to shout
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. press — to push
  5. race — humankind
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. key — for a lock
  8. race — the arms race
  9. cue — a hint
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. race — a contest
  12. cap — a hat
  13. pop — music
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. pop — soda
  19. key — in music
  20. press — newspapers
  21. foot — a measure
  22. cue — a signal
  23. press — a publisher
  24. pop — to visit

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