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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: cold · toast · mate · object · net · pitch · can · season

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. net — in sport
  3. cold — not warm
  4. object — an aim
  5. can — a tin
  6. object — to protest
  7. season — in sport
  8. pitch — completely
  9. net — after costs
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. net — for catching
  12. can — a tin
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. season — of the year
  16. can — to be able to
  17. toast — bread
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. mate — a friend
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. cold — an illness
  23. mate — a partner
  24. object — a thing

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