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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: mate · coach · pitcher · can · race · rest · toast · season

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. toast — bread
  3. mate — to breed
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. season — in sport
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mate — a partner
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. rest — what's left
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. race — the arms race
  13. can — to be able to
  14. season — of the year
  15. mate — a friend
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. race — a contest
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. can — a tin
  20. rest — what's left
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. rest — a break
  24. can — a tin

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