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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: bark · pound · squash · scale · rush · prune · patient · press

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. press — a publisher
  3. scale — in music
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. squash — the sport
  6. press — to push
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. prune — to trim
  10. press — newspapers
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pound — a weight
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. rush — hurry
  19. scale — size or range
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. prune — to trim
  24. squash — to crush

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