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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · cue · craft · capital · chip · trunk · branch · pit

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. capital — a city
  4. pit — a hole
  5. chip — for betting
  6. pit — in a race
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. season — in sport
  10. cue — for pool
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. season — of the year
  13. craft — boats
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. capital — money
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. branch — a division
  19. chip — to eat
  20. craft — a skill
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. cue — a signal

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