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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 120 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: patient · trunk · saw · march · race · bowl · mouse · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. saw — the tool
  5. march — the month
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. current — electric
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. march — music
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. march — the month
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. race — the arms race
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. race — humankind
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. race — a contest
  23. current — of water
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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