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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: cell · ruler · march · jam · branch · stand

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. march — music
  4. branch — a division
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. cell — a phone
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. march — the month
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cell — in biology
  18. march — the month

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