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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: suit · bark · sharp · chest · swing · pitcher · pound · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pound — a weight
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. suit — to fit
  7. sharp — clever
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. swing — in golf
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. swing — music
  14. bark — to shout
  15. chest — a box
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. suit — clothes
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. suit — in cards
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. swing — to play on
  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