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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: bark · lie · pitch · wound · current · mug · staff · squash

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. current — electric
  3. bark — to shout
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. staff — employees
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pitch — completely
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. current — happening now
  11. squash — to crush
  12. mug — a cup
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. lie — to recline
  18. mug — to rob
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. staff — employees
  22. squash — the sport
  23. current — of water
  24. mug — a face

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