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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: cell · ball · stick · bat · racket · content · bore · lash

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. cell — a phone
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. cell — in biology
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to tire
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. ball — a dance
  16. content — happy
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. content — the amount
  23. bat — 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