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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: trunk · branch · coach · cap · track · leaves · season · club

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. season — in sport
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. branch — a division
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. club — for dancing
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. track — a song
  12. cap — a hat
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. cap — a lid
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. season — of the year
  19. club — for golf
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. cap — of ice
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. track — a path
  24. club — a group

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