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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: branch · stem · drill · current · bark · pitcher · press · sharp

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. current — electric
  3. current — happening now
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. press — a publisher
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. stem — to come from
  10. drill — the tool
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. current — of water
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — to shout
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. drill — a practice
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. drill — army training
  23. press — to push
  24. sharp — with an edge

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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