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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: bank · calf · temple · pit · file · stock · prune · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. file — a document
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. stock — shares
  7. file — a tool
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — in a race
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. prune — to trim
  13. firm — steady
  14. bank — for money
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. stock — goods
  17. file — a line of people
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bank — of a river
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bank — for money
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. prune — to trim
  24. firm — decided

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