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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · rest · bass · bound · coach · bear · ground · ruler

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bear — the animal
  3. ground — a position
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. press — a publisher
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bear — the animal
  11. press — to push
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. ground — crushed
  14. rest — a break
  15. bass — low music
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bass — the fish
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. press — newspapers
  24. rest — what's left

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