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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: safe · jam · rush · stand · track · court · roll · race

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. track — a path
  3. court — of law
  4. track — a song
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. roll — a list
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rush — hurry
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. race — a contest
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. race — humankind
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. court — for sport
  18. roll — a cake
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. court — of a king
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. race — the arms race
  24. track — to keep track

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