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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: wind · bark · press · pound · branch · march

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pound — a weight
  7. march — the month
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — to shout
  11. march — music
  12. branch — a division
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — to push
  17. march — the month
  18. pound — to hit hard

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