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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 120 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — to shout
  4. press — newspapers
  5. ball — a dance
  6. press — a publisher
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. hand — help
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. rock — a stone
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. press — to push
  16. ball — a great time
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rock — music
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bear — the animal
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. foot — part of the body

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