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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.

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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: racket · charge · bay · net · stand · snap · date · coach

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. charge — in control
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stand — to bear
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. net — in sport
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. date — the fruit
  12. net — for catching
  13. charge — electricity
  14. snap — to click
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. net — after costs
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. charge — a price
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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