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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
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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: race · content · date · coach · cue · season · current · toast

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. toast — bread
  3. race — the arms race
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. race — humankind
  7. date — the fruit
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. cue — for pool
  10. current — electric
  11. season — of the year
  12. content — happy
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. current — of water
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cue — a hint
  19. content — the amount
  20. cue — a signal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. season — in sport
  23. current — happening now
  24. season — to add flavour

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