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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: ground · jam · ball · chest · safe · key · rash · coach

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. key — for a lock
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. rash — hasty
  5. ground — crushed
  6. key — the most important part
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. ball — a dance
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. chest — of your body
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. ground — the earth
  13. key — in music
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. chest — a box
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rash — a series
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. chest — of your body
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. safe — a strongbox

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