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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: track · safe · cue · hand · stick · march · perch · cap

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. track — to keep track
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. hand — help
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cue — a hint
  8. track — a path
  9. cue — a signal
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. march — the month
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cap — a lid
  15. march — music
  16. cap — of ice
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. hand — in cards
  20. track — a song
  21. march — the month
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cap — a hat
  24. safe — a strongbox

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