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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 · file · shower · stick · present · firm · calf · stock

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — shares
  3. shower — rain
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. file — a tool
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — decided
  9. file — a document
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. shower — to wash
  12. firm — a company
  13. stock — goods
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. present — the time now
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. present — there
  19. present — a gift
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. file — a line of people
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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