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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: press · stock · fan · bank · wake · bark · chair · bear

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. stock — shares
  6. bank — for money
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. press — to push
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bank — for money
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bear — the animal
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. wake — a trail
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bark — to shout
  19. stock — goods
  20. chair — a leader
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. press — a publisher
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. chair — a professorship

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