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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: bass · rule · present · press · drill · trunk

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — the time now
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. drill — army training
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. rule — a law
  10. present — there
  11. drill — the tool
  12. press — a publisher
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. press — newspapers
  15. drill — a practice
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. rule — government
  18. 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