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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: content · stick · net · pound · ball · lash · toast · bass

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — happy
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. net — for catching
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bass — the fish
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. net — after costs
  16. bass — low music
  17. toast — bread
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pound — a weight
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. ball — a dance
  24. net — in sport

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