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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: saw · bass · rule · board · cell · press · swing · ground

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. cell — in biology
  5. ground — the earth
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. board — to get on
  8. bass — low music
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. swing — music
  11. rule — government
  12. press — to push
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bass — the fish
  16. press — a publisher
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — to play on
  19. rule — a law
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. press — newspapers
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cell — a phone
  24. ground — a position

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