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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: sharp · court · mug · swing · race · bark · pound · stick

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. court — for sport
  4. sharp — clever
  5. race — humankind
  6. swing — to play on
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. swing — music
  13. court — of a king
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mug — to rob
  18. pound — a weight
  19. race — the arms race
  20. court — of law
  21. race — a contest
  22. swing — in golf
  23. mug — a face
  24. bark — of a tree

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