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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: race · bowl · trunk · press · current · scale · charge · wake

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  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. bowl — to roll
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. scale — in music
  5. current — electric
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — newspapers
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. charge — in control
  11. current — happening now
  12. race — the arms race
  13. current — of water
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. charge — a price
  16. scale — size or range
  17. press — to push
  18. wake — a trail
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. race — a contest
  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