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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 116 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 · stock · club · content · cue · trunk · bank · file

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bank — for money
  3. cue — a hint
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stock — shares
  6. club — a group
  7. file — a line of people
  8. cue — for pool
  9. file — a document
  10. bank — of a river
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — happy
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. cue — a signal
  17. file — a tool
  18. club — for golf
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stock — goods
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bank — for money

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