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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: key · bowl · cabinet · pitch · spell · temple · bulb · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. key — the most important part
  5. race — a contest
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. key — in music
  12. pitch — completely
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. spell — a short time
  23. race — humankind
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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