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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: pass · cabinet · trunk · net · branch · craft · charge · race

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. net — in sport
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. race — a contest
  6. craft — a skill
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. charge — a price
  9. race — humankind
  10. branch — a division
  11. race — the arms race
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. net — for catching
  19. craft — boats
  20. charge — in control
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pass — a permit
  24. trunk — of a tree

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