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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.

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: squash · row · bark · stick · sharp · mouse · ground · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. squash — to crush
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. suit — clothes
  7. ground — crushed
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. row — to paddle
  11. ground — the earth
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. squash — the sport
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. sharp — clever
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. row — a line
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. ground — a position
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bark — to shout

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