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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: bound · ruler · bass · game · band · ground · object · toast

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. game — a match
  3. ground — a position
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. band — a ring
  7. bound — tied together
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bass — the fish
  10. object — an aim
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bound — obliged
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a music group
  20. bound — certain
  21. toast — bread
  22. game — wild animals
  23. object — a thing
  24. bass — low music

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