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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: mug · press · bark · suit · rock · field · hand · perch

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. suit — to fit
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. press — to push
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bark — to shout
  9. suit — in cards
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. suit — clothes
  12. mug — a face
  13. press — newspapers
  14. perch — the fish
  15. field — a subject
  16. mug — a cup
  17. hand — in cards
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. field — farmland
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. field — for sport

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