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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: coach · pop · safe · jam · key · race · mine · roll

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. roll — a list
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pop — music
  6. race — the arms race
  7. key — the most important part
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. pop — to visit
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. race — humankind
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. race — a contest
  15. mine — for digging
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. roll — a cake
  22. pop — soda
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. key — in music

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