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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: chip · root · arm · stock · band · bank · wound · ruler

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. root — of a word
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. stock — shares
  8. chip — for betting
  9. wound — an injury
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. root — the cause
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. band — a music group
  16. chip — to eat
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bank — of a river
  21. stock — goods
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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