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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: mine · branch · club · suit · arm · ruler · root · trunk

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. suit — in cards
  4. club — for dancing
  5. root — the cause
  6. mine — for digging
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. club — a group
  13. root — of a plant
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. suit — clothes
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. suit — to fit
  21. root — of a word
  22. club — for golf
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. arm — part of the body

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