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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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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 · rest · key · toast · chest · club · race · pitcher

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — the arms race
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. race — humankind
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rest — a break
  15. key — in music
  16. club — for dancing
  17. chest — of your body
  18. club — for golf
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rest — what's left
  21. key — for a lock
  22. club — a group
  23. toast — bread
  24. chest — a box

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