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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: rash · ruler · fork · season · land · pop · press · bark

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. land — to come down
  3. fork — in a road
  4. rash — a series
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pop — to visit
  7. land — ground
  8. press — to push
  9. pop — soda
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. season — in sport
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. press — newspapers
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. press — a publisher
  17. pop — music
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. season — of the year
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. land — a country
  24. rash — hasty

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