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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: ground · dip · rash · jam · calf · racket · wound · cue

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. ground — the earth
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. wound — an injury
  9. dip — to sink
  10. ground — a position
  11. cue — a hint
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cue — a signal
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ground — crushed
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. rash — hasty
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. cue — for pool
  24. rash — a series

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