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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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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. content — happy
  3. game — a match
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. suit — to fit
  7. scale — in music
  8. club — for golf
  9. bank — for money
  10. game — wild animals
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bank — of a river
  16. club — a group
  17. scale — size or range
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. content — the amount
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — clothes
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bank — for money

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