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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 116 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: leaves · mug · bark · pop · chip · stock · press · nail

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bark — to shout
  3. press — to push
  4. stock — shares
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pop — music
  7. chip — for betting
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. press — a publisher
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — to visit
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. mug — a face
  19. chip — to eat
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. press — newspapers
  22. stock — goods
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. leaves — to go away

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