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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: fan · coach · wake · race · pass · key · content · bank

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. race — a contest
  3. bank — of a river
  4. content — happy
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. key — for a lock
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bank — for money
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. content — the amount
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. key — the most important part
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — humankind
  21. bank — for money
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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