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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 · branch · charge · season · trunk · craft · pit · cap

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. rash — on the skin
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. charge — electricity
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. season — of the year
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. cap — of ice
  8. craft — a skill
  9. season — in sport
  10. rash — hasty
  11. cap — a lid
  12. branch — a division
  13. charge — a price
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — a hole
  18. rash — a series
  19. craft — boats
  20. charge — in control
  21. cap — a hat
  22. pit — in a race
  23. season — to add flavour
  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