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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: jam · field · branch · press · safe · deal · bark · ground

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. ground — a position
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. press — a publisher
  6. deal — to handle
  7. field — a subject
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. field — for sport
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. press — newspapers
  13. field — farmland
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bark — to shout
  17. ground — the earth
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. press — to push
  20. ground — crushed
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. branch — a division

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