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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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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: cue · game · lash · bowl · cap · chest · ball · pound

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pound — a weight
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. cue — a signal
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. game — a match
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. game — wild animals
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cue — a hint
  17. ball — a great time
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — a lid
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. ball — a dance

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