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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: object · safe · key · cold · stock · sharp · capital · plane

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. plane — a tool
  3. capital — a city
  4. sharp — clever
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. object — to protest
  7. capital — money
  8. key — for a lock
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cold — not warm
  11. object — an aim
  12. stock — goods
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. object — a thing
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. stock — shares

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