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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 · safe · court · rock · roll · key · arm · race

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. court — for sport
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. roll — a cake
  5. key — the most important part
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — of law
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. key — in music
  10. key — for a lock
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. rock — a stone
  14. roll — a list
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. race — the arms race
  17. rock — music
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. race — humankind
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. coach — a trainer

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