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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: arm · rule · bat · branch · squash · mug · craft · capital

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bat — the animal
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. mug — a cup
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rule — government
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. capital — money
  12. mug — a face
  13. craft — a skill
  14. branch — a division
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. rule — a law
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. craft — boats
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. mug — to rob
  22. squash — the sport
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bat — for baseball

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