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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: ground · press · bore · rule · band · rest · branch · game

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bore — to tire
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. band — a music group
  10. rule — government
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — to push
  15. branch — a division
  16. game — wild animals
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — crushed
  19. band — a ring
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rule — a law
  22. bore — to drill
  23. press — newspapers
  24. game — a match

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