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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: can · suit · ball · kick · object · dip · content · hand

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. hand — in cards
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. ball — a dance
  5. suit — in cards
  6. content — the amount
  7. object — an aim
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. object — a thing
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. hand — help
  13. dip — to sink
  14. can — to be able to
  15. object — to protest
  16. suit — to fit
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. ball — a great time
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. kick — in football
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. suit — clothes

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