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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: temple · track · stock · mouse · vault · prune · board · rest

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. track — a song
  4. prune — to trim
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. rest — what's left
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. rest — a break
  19. board — a committee
  20. vault — a safe
  21. stock — shares
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. track — a path

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