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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.

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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: race · track · staff · bowl · bound · pitcher · spell · key

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. key — in music
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. staff — employees
  5. race — a contest
  6. spell — magic
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bound — tied together
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bound — obliged
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bound — certain
  14. spell — letters
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. track — to keep track
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. track — a song
  19. race — humankind
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. key — the most important part
  22. track — a path
  23. key — for a lock
  24. staff — employees

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