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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: kick · foot · content · stock · racket · bound · ball · wake

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. content — happy
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. content — the amount
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. ball — a dance
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. foot — a measure
  11. kick — in football
  12. ball — a great time
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bound — tied together
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bound — obliged
  20. stock — goods
  21. bound — certain
  22. wake — a trail
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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