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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.

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: mug · ball · racket · pound · bat · content · chip · fine

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. ball — a great time
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bat — the animal
  8. fine — high quality
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. content — happy
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — for betting
  13. mug — a cup
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. content — the amount
  16. mug — a face
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. mug — to rob
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pound — a weight
  22. fine — all right
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. content — videos and posts

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