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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: present · key · hand · scale · mug · fork · sharp · safe

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. mug — a cup
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mug — a face
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. scale — size or range
  9. present — the time now
  10. scale — in music
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. key — in music
  13. present — a gift
  14. key — the most important part
  15. mug — to rob
  16. hand — in cards
  17. key — for a lock
  18. present — there
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. hand — help
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. sharp — clever
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — in a road

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