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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.

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: field · key · pound · cap · press · leaves · safe · sharp

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a lid
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — clever
  5. key — for a lock
  6. press — to push
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pound — a weight
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — for sport
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. press — a publisher
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. cap — a hat
  17. press — newspapers
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. key — in music
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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