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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: scale · cue · board · jam · press · staff · nail · bark

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. scale — size or range
  3. press — to push
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. staff — employees
  7. cue — for pool
  8. staff — employees
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. scale — in music
  12. board — a committee
  13. bark — to shout
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. board — to get on
  19. staff — a stick
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. press — newspapers
  22. cue — a hint
  23. press — a publisher
  24. scale — for weighing

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