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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: press · board · spring · bark · perch · present · stock · hide

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. spring — of water
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. spring — a coil
  6. stock — shares
  7. perch — the fish
  8. stock — goods
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. present — a gift
  12. spring — the season
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. press — a publisher
  15. present — there
  16. board — to get on
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. press — newspapers
  19. present — the time now
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. press — to push
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. board — a committee

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