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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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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: rule · club · branch · bass · trunk · fine · game · press

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. rule — government
  3. press — a publisher
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. press — to push
  8. press — newspapers
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — a group
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. game — wild animals
  15. rule — a law
  16. fine — all right
  17. game — a match
  18. club — for golf
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. fine — high quality
  22. branch — a division
  23. bass — the fish
  24. rule — to rule out

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