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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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468
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: kid · temple · stock · dip · cabinet · root · press · suit

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. suit — in cards
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. press — newspapers
  6. kid — to tease
  7. root — of a plant
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. suit — to fit
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. root — the cause
  13. stock — goods
  14. root — of a word
  15. kid — child
  16. stock — shares
  17. dip — to sink
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. press — to push
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. press — a publisher
  24. suit — clothes

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