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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: rush · press · bound · chair · roll · bark · degree · foot

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bound — certain
  3. press — newspapers
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. degree — temperature
  7. foot — a measure
  8. press — a publisher
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bound — tied together
  12. degree — an amount
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. rush — hurry
  16. roll — a list
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. degree — from a university
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. press — to push
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bound — obliged
  24. foot — part of the body

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