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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 · root · cabinet · game · staff · march · ruler · branch

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. march — the month
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. staff — a stick
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. staff — employees
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. staff — employees
  13. game — wild animals
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. branch — a division
  18. root — of a word
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. march — music
  21. root — of a plant
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. march — the month
  24. root — the cause

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