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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.

Make a worksheet

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: scale · safe · game · cold · pitch · mug · squash · wound

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. wound — an injury
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. game — wild animals
  7. scale — size or range
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mug — to rob
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. mug — a face
  15. pitch — completely
  16. scale — in music
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cold — an illness
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. game — a match
  24. cold — not warm

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