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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
468
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 · ground · calf · hand · jam · deal · content · lash

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. deal — to handle
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. ground — a position
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. ground — the earth
  11. content — the amount
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. content — happy
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. hand — in cards
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — part of the body

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