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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lash · bay · racket · pop · season · content · date · ball

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. date — the fruit
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ball — a great time
  8. content — happy
  9. pop — soda
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. pop — music
  15. content — the amount
  16. pop — to visit
  17. ball — a dance
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. season — in sport
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. season — of the year

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