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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
468
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: rush · scale · safe · pitch · cold · key · calf · sharp

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. cold — an illness
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pitch — completely
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. sharp — clever
  18. key — the most important part
  19. cold — not warm
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. key — for a lock
  24. safe — a strongbox

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