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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: court · branch · mug · board · cue · rest · firm · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. firm — steady
  3. court — of law
  4. mug — a cup
  5. court — for sport
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. rest — what's left
  9. board — to get on
  10. mug — a face
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. court — of a king
  13. cue — a signal
  14. firm — decided
  15. object — a thing
  16. firm — a company
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. object — to protest
  19. board — a committee
  20. rest — a break
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mug — to rob

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