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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 · date · stem · cue · lean · pit · key · bark

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. content — the amount
  5. lean — thin
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. pit — a hole
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. lean — to bend
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. content — happy
  14. cue — a hint
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. key — in music
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. key — for a lock
  19. cue — a signal
  20. key — the most important part
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. pit — in a race

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