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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: arm · present · file · degree · track · cue · stock · safe

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. track — a path
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. degree — an amount
  5. track — to keep track
  6. cue — a signal
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stock — shares
  9. file — a line of people
  10. present — there
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. present — the time now
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a tool
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stock — goods
  18. cue — for pool
  19. degree — from a university
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. present — a gift
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. degree — temperature
  24. track — a song

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