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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 116 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: file · tube · bark · fine · ground · bore · pitcher · press

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bore — to drill
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — high quality
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bark — to shout
  11. file — a tool
  12. ground — the earth
  13. tube — the underground
  14. press — to push
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. ground — crushed
  17. file — a document
  18. ground — a position
  19. file — a line of people
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bore — to tire
  23. tube — a container
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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