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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: ground · stock · pit · safe · branch · bank · file · tear

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bank — for money
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. stock — goods
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. stock — shares
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a document
  13. tear — from crying
  14. file — a tool
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. ground — a position
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. branch — a division
  23. ground — crushed
  24. safe — out of danger

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