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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 116 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: rush · pitcher · pound · club · hide · bark · lash · stock

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. club — for golf
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bark — to shout
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. club — for dancing
  15. pound — a weight
  16. stock — goods
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. club — a group
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. rush — hurry
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. stock — shares

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