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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: arm · capital · wave · press · current · bark · trunk · field

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. press — newspapers
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. current — electric
  6. press — to push
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. capital — a city
  9. field — a subject
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. press — a publisher
  13. capital — money
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. current — of water
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bark — to shout
  20. field — farmland
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. current — happening now
  24. field — for sport

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