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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — happy
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. club — for golf
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. track — a path
  11. court — of a king
  12. track — a song
  13. saw — the tool
  14. court — for sport
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. track — to keep track
  18. club — for dancing
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. club — a group
  21. court — of law
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — hurry

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