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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stem · pitcher · fork · face · press · current · bark · bass

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — a publisher
  3. face — part of the head
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bass — the fish
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bass — low music
  8. fork — in a road
  9. current — of water
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. current — happening now
  13. face — to point toward
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. press — newspapers
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. current — electric
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bark — to shout
  24. face — to confront

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