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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: rash · court · branch · pop · object · firm · rest · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. rash — hasty
  4. object — to protest
  5. firm — steady
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. branch — a division
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. object — a thing
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. court — of a king
  14. rash — a series
  15. content — the amount
  16. pop — to visit
  17. content — happy
  18. firm — a company
  19. pop — music
  20. rest — what's left
  21. firm — decided
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. pop — soda
  24. object — an aim

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