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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: kick · coach · roll · club · key · clip · content · safe

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. clip — to cut
  4. club — for golf
  5. kick — in football
  6. club — for dancing
  7. key — in music
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. key — for a lock
  10. club — a group
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. roll — a list
  13. key — the most important part
  14. roll — a cake
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. clip — a video
  20. content — happy
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — the amount
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — a thrill

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