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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
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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: content · cell · ball · racket · lash · band · board · mug

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. mug — a face
  4. cell — in biology
  5. board — to get on
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. band — a ring
  12. ball — a dance
  13. board — a committee
  14. mug — a cup
  15. cell — a phone
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. band — a music group
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. mug — to rob
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — the amount
  24. racket — a loud noise

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