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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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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: safe · coach · track · jam · cue · row

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. row — a line
  3. track — to keep track
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. row — to paddle
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. cue — a signal
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — for pool

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