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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: cabinet · ruler · branch · lean · fork · club · arm · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. club — for dancing
  3. can — a tin
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. fork — in a road
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. club — a group
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. club — for golf
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. can — a tin
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a bank

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