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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
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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: prune · trunk · capital · current · mug · cabinet · coach · season

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. mug — a face
  3. season — in sport
  4. prune — to trim
  5. season — of the year
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. capital — money
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. current — of water
  13. current — electric
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mug — a cup
  17. current — happening now
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. capital — a city
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. mug — to rob
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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