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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: ground · bank · bark · present · hand · press · bear · perch

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. present — there
  6. ground — crushed
  7. present — a gift
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. hand — help
  10. present — the time now
  11. bark — to shout
  12. ground — the earth
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bear — the animal
  15. ground — a position
  16. bear — the animal
  17. press — to push
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bank — of a river
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bank — for money
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. press — newspapers

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