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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · bass · prune · current · race · trunk · bowl · file

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. file — a line of people
  5. current — electric
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bass — the fish
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bass — low music
  13. current — happening now
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. file — a document
  19. prune — to trim
  20. file — a tool
  21. current — of water
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. race — humankind
  24. race — a contest

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