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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. pound — a weight
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rock — music
  5. mug — to rob
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mug — a cup
  9. hand — help
  10. content — happy
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. club — for dancing
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. club — for golf
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. content — the amount
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. club — a group
  21. mug — a face
  22. snap — to click
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. rock — a stone

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