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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: face · track · key · coach · pitcher · race · drill · craft

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. key — the most important part
  3. track — to keep track
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. race — humankind
  6. key — for a lock
  7. race — the arms race
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. track — a path
  10. key — in music
  11. face — part of the head
  12. track — a song
  13. craft — boats
  14. drill — the tool
  15. craft — a skill
  16. drill — a practice
  17. race — a contest
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. face — to confront
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pitcher — a jug

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