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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 120 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: tube · club · coach · bark · mug · press · bank · present

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bark — to shout
  3. press — a publisher
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bank — for money
  6. tube — the underground
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. club — for dancing
  9. press — to push
  10. present — there
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — a gift
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mug — to rob
  15. club — a group
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. tube — a container
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. press — newspapers
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. mug — a face
  24. club — for golf

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