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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 120 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: branch · ruler · arm · race · clip · prune · march · board

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. clip — to cut
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. branch — a division
  9. clip — a video
  10. race — a contest
  11. march — the month
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. prune — to trim
  14. march — the month
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — humankind
  18. clip — for paper
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. board — to get on
  22. prune — to trim
  23. march — music
  24. board — a committee

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