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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: club · ruler · capital · hand · arm · deal · branch · vault

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  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 — for measuring
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. branch — a division
  5. capital — a city
  6. hand — in cards
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. hand — help
  9. vault — a safe
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. club — a group
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — to handle
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. capital — money
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — for dancing
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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