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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 116 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: season · branch · tear · craft · track · rash · rule · ball

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. season — of the year
  4. track — a path
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. tear — from crying
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. tear — to rip
  9. ball — a dance
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. ball — a great time
  12. branch — a division
  13. track — a song
  14. rule — a law
  15. craft — boats
  16. rash — hasty
  17. tear — from crying
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. season — in sport
  22. rule — government
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. track — to keep track

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