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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 120 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: shower · safe · cell · file · craft · degree · suit · stock

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. file — a document
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. suit — to fit
  8. degree — from a university
  9. cell — in biology
  10. craft — boats
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. shower — rain
  14. stock — shares
  15. cell — a phone
  16. file — a tool
  17. stock — goods
  18. degree — temperature
  19. craft — a skill
  20. file — a line of people
  21. degree — an amount
  22. shower — to wash
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. safe — out of danger

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