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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 · ground · racket · jam · cold · wake · mug · rest

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rest — what's left
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mug — a face
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. scale — size or range
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. rest — a break
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. scale — in music
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mug — to rob
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. mug — a cup
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cold — not warm
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. ground — crushed

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