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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 120 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: cue · row · safe · craft · foot · capital · stem · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. craft — boats
  3. cue — a signal
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. cue — a hint
  6. capital — a city
  7. cue — for pool
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. stem — to come from
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. row — a line
  17. track — a path
  18. row — to paddle
  19. foot — a measure
  20. track — a song
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. craft — a skill

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