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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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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 · cabinet · key · degree · board · stock · last · bank

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bank — for money
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — money
  5. degree — from a university
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. last — to go on
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. key — the most important part
  10. board — to get on
  11. key — in music
  12. stock — goods
  13. degree — an amount
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bank — of a river
  17. key — for a lock
  18. last — finally
  19. bank — for money
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. last — final
  22. board — a committee
  23. stock — shares
  24. capital — a city

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