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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: bowl · capital · key · track · charge · craft · branch · rash

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. key — for a lock
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. key — the most important part
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. craft — a skill
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. track — a song
  11. capital — a city
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. rash — hasty
  14. charge — a price
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. charge — in control
  18. craft — boats
  19. charge — electricity
  20. rash — a series
  21. branch — a division
  22. key — in music
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bowl — a dish

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