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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: pass · swing · bark · ground · press · key · prune · row

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. ground — the earth
  3. prune — to trim
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bark — to shout
  6. swing — to play on
  7. prune — to trim
  8. swing — in golf
  9. ground — a position
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. key — in music
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — a permit
  15. row — a line
  16. row — to paddle
  17. key — for a lock
  18. press — a publisher
  19. ground — crushed
  20. press — to push
  21. swing — music
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. key — the most important part

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