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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: cue · safe · sharp · net · key · stand · date · field

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. sharp — clever
  3. cue — for pool
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — in sport
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. field — a subject
  10. cue — a signal
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. field — for sport
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. cue — a hint
  15. field — farmland
  16. stand — to bear
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. key — for a lock
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. net — for catching
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. key — in music
  24. date — the fruit

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