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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 · track · key · bark · lie · land · rest · temple

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. key — for a lock
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. land — to come down
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bark — to shout
  10. land — ground
  11. track — a song
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. track — a path
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stock — shares
  17. key — in music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. lie — to recline
  23. stock — goods
  24. track — to keep track

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