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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: track · arm · branch · ruler · row · stick · bank · fork

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bank — for money
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. row — to paddle
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bank — of a river
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bank — for money
  18. track — a path
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. row — a line
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. branch — a division

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