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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · squash · pitch · tube · sharp · firm · hide · hand

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. tube — a container
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. firm — steady
  10. pitch — completely
  11. squash — to crush
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. squash — the sport
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. firm — a company
  24. pitcher — a jug

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