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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 116 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: land · bass · stand · board · perch · stock · bark · press

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. land — a country
  3. board — to get on
  4. bark — to shout
  5. land — ground
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. press — newspapers
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. press — to push
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — goods
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bass — the fish
  16. press — a publisher
  17. stand — to bear
  18. land — to come down
  19. perch — the fish
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bass — low music
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bass — the instrument

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