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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: net · cue · key · fork · cap · can · sharp · face

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. cue — for pool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. cue — a signal
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. key — the most important part
  12. cap — a hat
  13. can — a tin
  14. cue — a hint
  15. face — to confront
  16. net — after costs
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. key — in music
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. sharp — clever
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to point toward
  24. key — for a lock

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