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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: rock · race · trunk · mate · bat · file · pass · tube

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. mate — a friend
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. mate — to breed
  6. file — a tool
  7. race — a contest
  8. mate — a partner
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — a permit
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. file — a line of people
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. tube — a container
  15. rock — music
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. tube — the underground
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. file — a document
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bat — the animal
  24. race — humankind

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