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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
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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: bowl · key · race · land · wake · stock · staff · temple

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. key — in music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. key — for a lock
  8. land — a country
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. race — humankind
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. wake — a trail
  22. staff — a stick
  23. race — a contest
  24. land — to come down

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