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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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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: pitcher · drill · press · fork · bay · toast · bark · race

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. drill — the tool
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. race — humankind
  12. drill — army training
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. press — to push
  15. fork — in a road
  16. race — a contest
  17. bark — to shout
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. press — a publisher
  22. drill — a practice
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. pitcher — a jug

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