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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. net — for catching
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. net — in sport
  5. fall — to drop
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bank — for money
  8. fall — the season
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. court — for sport
  13. prune — to trim
  14. craft — a skill
  15. court — of law
  16. press — a publisher
  17. prune — to trim
  18. net — after costs
  19. fall — to drop
  20. court — of a king
  21. bank — for money
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bank — of a river
  24. craft — boats

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