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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. firm — steady
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. press — a publisher
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — electric
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. toast — bread
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — a company
  12. current — of water
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. staff — employees
  15. press — to push
  16. staff — employees
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. roll — a list
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bat — the animal
  24. toast — the most admired

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