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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 120 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: rest · ground · root · content · rash · sharp · club · branch

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. club — a group
  3. ground — a position
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — the amount
  6. rest — a break
  7. root — the cause
  8. rest — what's left
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. sharp — clever
  13. ground — crushed
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. ground — the earth
  16. root — of a word
  17. club — for dancing
  18. rash — hasty
  19. root — of a plant
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — a series
  23. club — for golf
  24. content — happy

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