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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 116 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: firm · ground · press · kick · can · race · staff · bark

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. press — to push
  3. ground — the earth
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. race — a contest
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. firm — a company
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. staff — a stick
  10. firm — decided
  11. press — a publisher
  12. kick — in football
  13. firm — steady
  14. staff — employees
  15. ground — crushed
  16. can — to be able to
  17. race — humankind
  18. press — newspapers
  19. staff — employees
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. can — a tin
  23. ground — a position
  24. can — a tin

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