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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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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: land · arm · branch · jam · saw · bank · key · bat

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  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. arm — a part of something
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bank — for money
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. land — a country
  7. branch — a division
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bank — for money
  10. key — in music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. key — for a lock
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. land — to come down
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bat — the animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. land — ground
  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