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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.

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: drill · capital · coach · key · bass · spring · rash · safe

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. drill — army training
  4. spring — a coil
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. key — in music
  7. rash — a series
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. key — the most important part
  10. capital — a city
  11. spring — the season
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. key — for a lock
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bass — the fish
  16. spring — of water
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bass — low music
  22. drill — the tool
  23. rash — hasty
  24. capital — money

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