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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.

Words on the sheet
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: capital · craft · stock · fine · rest · cold · cabinet · roll

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. roll — a list
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. capital — money
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cold — an illness
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. fine — high quality
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. capital — a city
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stock — shares
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stock — goods
  23. fine — all right
  24. craft — boats

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