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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 · row · present · mine · press · jam · bear · fork

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. present — there
  4. press — newspapers
  5. rash — a series
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. present — the time now
  12. row — a line
  13. press — a publisher
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. press — to push
  17. mine — for digging
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. present — a gift
  22. rash — hasty
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. jam — a tight spot

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