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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: rash · capital · suit · rush · shower · track · charge · branch

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. suit — in cards
  3. rash — a series
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. charge — electricity
  6. track — a song
  7. charge — in control
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a path
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. charge — a price
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. suit — to fit
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. suit — clothes
  18. capital — a city
  19. shower — rain
  20. capital — money
  21. rush — hurry
  22. branch — a division
  23. shower — to wash
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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