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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: pound · racket · bowl · lash · bear · content · ball · kick

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pound — a weight
  4. content — the amount
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. kick — in football
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. content — happy
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bear — the animal
  24. racket — for tennis

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