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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 · stand · bear · trunk · mine · ground · press · jam

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bear — the animal
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. stand — to bear
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — the earth
  16. press — to push
  17. press — a publisher
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. ground — crushed
  21. press — newspapers
  22. mine — for digging
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. trunk — 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