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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: current · trunk · board · race · patient · season · leaves · ball

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. board — to get on
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. ball — a dance
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. race — a contest
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. race — humankind
  16. board — a committee
  17. race — the arms race
  18. season — of the year
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. current — electric
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. current — of water
  24. leaves — lets stay

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