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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: hide · pitch · prune · bark · hand · mug · cap · rush

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mug — a face
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. hand — help
  9. rush — hurry
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pitch — completely
  12. mug — to rob
  13. hand — in cards
  14. cap — a lid
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. cap — a hat
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bark — to shout
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. hide — to keep secret

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