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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: lash · race · chip · club · coach · scale · safe · roll

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. race — the arms race
  6. club — a group
  7. scale — in music
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. club — for golf
  11. race — humankind
  12. chip — for betting
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. club — for dancing
  16. race — a contest
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. scale — size or range
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. roll — a cake
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. roll — a list
  24. safe — out of danger

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