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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: bark · shower · press · mate · track · mug · chair · current

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. mug — a face
  3. track — a path
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. press — newspapers
  6. current — of water
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bark — to shout
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — to wash
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — to rob
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a leader
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. current — happening now
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. press — to push
  23. shower — rain
  24. current — electric

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