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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: press · jam · bear · foot · cue · key · bark · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. content — happy
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. press — newspapers
  9. content — the amount
  10. cue — a signal
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — to shout
  14. foot — a measure
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bear — the animal
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. key — for a lock
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. press — to push

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