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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 120 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.

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: fine · can · bark · present · racket · perch · press · rush

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. can — a tin
  6. bark — to shout
  7. present — a gift
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — all right
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. perch — the fish
  18. can — a tin
  19. rush — hurry
  20. present — there
  21. press — newspapers
  22. present — the time now
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. can — to be able to

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