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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: fine · cold · stock · cell · key · safe · bore · craft

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. craft — boats
  4. stock — goods
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. fine — all right
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. key — in music
  11. stock — shares
  12. key — the most important part
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. craft — a skill
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cold — an illness
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. cold — not warm
  21. bore — to drill
  22. key — for a lock
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. cell — in a prison

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