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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: temple · can · present · suit · object · root

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. can — to be able to
  4. suit — in cards
  5. object — a thing
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a plant
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. suit — clothes
  13. present — there
  14. object — an aim
  15. root — of a word
  16. suit — to fit
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — a gift

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