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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.

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: stock · temple · stem · race · object · game · bore · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. bore — to tire
  4. object — an aim
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. object — to protest
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. game — a match
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. game — wild animals
  13. object — a thing
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bore — to drill
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — a contest
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. stock — shares
  21. bank — for money
  22. stock — goods
  23. race — humankind
  24. stem — to come from

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