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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: bark · pass · press · branch · ground · present · rash · staff

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. staff — employees
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. present — a gift
  9. rash — a series
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. rash — hasty
  14. ground — the earth
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. present — the time now
  18. press — to push
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. pass — a permit
  21. present — there
  22. ground — a position
  23. bark — to shout
  24. branch — of a tree

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