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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: branch · chair · rule · stem · rest · pop

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pop — soda
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. stem — to come from
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. rest — what's left
  15. chair — a leader
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — a law
  18. branch — a division

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