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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: mouse · capital · present · arm · branch · key · ruler · chip

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. present — a gift
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. branch — a division
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. key — the most important part
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. capital — a city
  14. key — in music
  15. chip — for betting
  16. present — the time now
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. chip — to eat
  20. present — there
  21. key — for a lock
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. capital — a big letter
  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