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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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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: rock · roll · pitch · tear · branch · stock · nail · firm

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. firm — decided
  3. pitch — completely
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rock — music
  9. tear — from crying
  10. roll — a list
  11. stock — shares
  12. tear — to rip
  13. firm — steady
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. rock — a stone
  16. firm — a company
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — a division
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. stock — goods
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. roll — a cake

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