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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 116 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: prune · object · patient · bound · key · stock · capital · cabinet

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. key — the most important part
  3. object — an aim
  4. capital — a city
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bound — tied together
  7. prune — to trim
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stock — shares
  12. bound — certain
  13. object — a thing
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. capital — money
  16. bound — obliged
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. object — to protest
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. prune — to trim

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