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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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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: bark · jam · bay · prune · chest · craft · perch · press

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. chest — of your body
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. prune — to trim
  13. chest — a box
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — to push
  16. craft — boats
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bark — to shout
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. perch — the fish
  24. prune — the fruit

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