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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: wound · mug · ball · mark · racket · lash · pitcher · rash

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rash — a series
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. ball — a great time
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mark — a trace
  12. rash — hasty
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mug — a cup
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a face
  24. mark — a grade

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