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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: present · stock · calf · chip · safe · tube · file · kid

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — shares
  4. file — a document
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. chip — for betting
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chip — to eat
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. present — a gift
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. kid — to tease
  18. file — a line of people
  19. tube — the underground
  20. present — the time now
  21. kid — child
  22. stock — goods
  23. file — a tool
  24. tube — a container

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