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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.

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 · deal · game · temple · staff · stem · race · stock

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stock — shares
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. staff — employees
  8. game — wild animals
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. race — the arms race
  11. staff — employees
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. deal — to handle
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — a contest
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. staff — a stick
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. temple — a place of worship

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