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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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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: press · craft · board · bark · row · bank

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. press — a publisher
  4. board — to get on
  5. craft — a skill
  6. row — a line
  7. press — to push
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bank — for money
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bark — to shout
  15. board — a committee
  16. craft — boats
  17. bank — for money
  18. board — a flat piece

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