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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: stock · hand · root · fine · press · bank · dip · tube

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. press — to push
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. root — the cause
  7. hand — help
  8. bank — for money
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bank — for money
  11. dip — to sink
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bank — of a river
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — shares
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. press — a publisher
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — of a plant

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