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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: pitcher · lie · file · stock · rash · branch · safe · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. file — a line of people
  4. firm — decided
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. branch — a division
  10. lie — to recline
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. stock — shares
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. firm — steady
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rash — a series
  19. stock — goods
  20. file — a tool
  21. rash — hasty
  22. file — a document
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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