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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 116 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: rest · cue · bound · coach · press · rule · fine · ground

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  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. press — to push
  2. bound — tied together
  3. rest — a break
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rest — what's left
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bound — obliged
  10. rule — a law
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cue — for pool
  13. ground — a position
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bound — certain
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. ground — the earth
  19. fine — high quality
  20. ground — crushed
  21. fine — all right
  22. cue — a hint
  23. rule — government
  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