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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: cap · sharp · mate · rash · branch · season · pass · track

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. track — a path
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. season — of the year
  5. rash — hasty
  6. track — a song
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. branch — a division
  10. rash — a series
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. season — in sport
  14. mate — a partner
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pass — a permit
  19. track — to keep track
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. cap — a lid
  22. mate — to breed
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. mate — a friend

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