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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: press · bark · pound · sharp · stick · chair · current · bowl

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. current — of water
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pound — a weight
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. press — newspapers
  9. chair — a leader
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. current — happening now
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. current — electric
  19. press — to push
  20. press — a publisher
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bark — to shout
  24. sharp — with an edge

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