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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 · coach · bowl · craft · branch · cap · deal · club

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. cap — a lid
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. club — for golf
  5. cap — a hat
  6. branch — a division
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cap — of ice
  12. craft — boats
  13. deal — to handle
  14. rash — hasty
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rash — a series
  18. club — for dancing
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. club — a group
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. deal — an agreement

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