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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: prune · hide · branch · game · arm · court · root · ruler

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. root — of a word
  4. prune — to trim
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. court — for sport
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. branch — a division
  10. court — of a king
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. root — the cause
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a match
  23. court — of law
  24. prune — to trim

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