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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 · tube · track · deal · race · content · stick · last

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. track — a song
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. track — to keep track
  5. last — final
  6. content — the amount
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. last — to go on
  9. race — the arms race
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. last — finally
  13. tube — a container
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. race — a contest
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. tube — the underground
  19. content — happy
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. track — a path
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. tube — in a tire
  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