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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.

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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 · land · bark · file · board · club · rash · craft

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. board — to get on
  3. rash — a series
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. land — to come down
  6. club — for dancing
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. file — a tool
  9. club — for golf
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a document
  12. bark — to shout
  13. craft — a skill
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. land — ground
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — newspapers
  19. club — a group
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. board — a committee
  22. craft — boats
  23. rash — hasty
  24. press — to push

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