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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: bark · prune · dip · press · cap · season · bank · date

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. date — the fruit
  14. bark — to shout
  15. season — in sport
  16. press — to push
  17. bank — of a river
  18. press — a publisher
  19. season — of the year
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. cap — a lid
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. prune — to trim

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