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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: cap · key · straw · stick · board · plane · capital · sharp

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. key — for a lock
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. board — a committee
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. board — to get on
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — in music
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. capital — a city
  13. cap — a hat
  14. plane — a tool
  15. capital — money
  16. sharp — clever
  17. cap — a lid
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cap — of ice
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. sharp — exactly

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