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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: date · key · safe · fine · field · cold · wake · mark

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. mark — a grade
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. wake — a trail
  5. fine — all right
  6. key — for a lock
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fine — high quality
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. field — farmland
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mark — a trace
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. field — for sport
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. cold — an illness
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. key — the most important part
  21. field — a subject
  22. date — the fruit
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. cold — not warm

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