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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 · press · key · stock · vault · cabinet · root · degree

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. temple — a place of worship
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. root — of a word
  4. press — a publisher
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. stock — goods
  9. press — to push
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. degree — from a university
  12. root — the cause
  13. press — newspapers
  14. degree — an amount
  15. key — in music
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. vault — a safe
  18. root — of a plant
  19. key — for a lock
  20. stock — shares
  21. key — the most important part
  22. degree — temperature
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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