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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: stem · bass · content · rush · firm · bark · rule · rash

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bass — low music
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. rash — a series
  5. bass — the fish
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rash — hasty
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. firm — decided
  13. bark — to shout
  14. content — happy
  15. firm — steady
  16. rule — a law
  17. stem — to come from
  18. rule — government
  19. rush — hurry
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. content — the amount
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bass — the instrument

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