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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. press — to push
  3. net — for catching
  4. cap — a hat
  5. can — a tin
  6. stock — shares
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. net — after costs
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bark — to shout
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cap — of ice
  13. net — in sport
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a leader
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. craft — a skill
  18. press — a publisher
  19. stock — goods
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. cap — a lid
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. can — a tin

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