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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: bank · perch · bear · mine · pitch · ground · press · bark

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. ground — a position
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. mine — for digging
  14. ground — crushed
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pitch — completely
  21. press — to push
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. press — a publisher

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