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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 · temple · prune · bay · stock · coach · wake · bat

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. stock — shares
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. race — humankind
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. race — a contest
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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