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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 116 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: racket · wave · mark · lean · content · deal · fine · ball

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. mark — a trace
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. lean — to bend
  9. fine — all right
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. ball — a dance
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. content — the amount
  17. lean — thin
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. deal — to handle
  21. mark — a grade
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. ball — a great time
  24. fine — high quality

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