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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: bark · bear · perch · mouse · patient · chair · press · squash

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bear — the animal
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bark — to shout
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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