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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: pitch · charge · stock · patient · race · date · lash · cue

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. charge — electricity
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stock — shares
  9. charge — a price
  10. race — the arms race
  11. cue — a signal
  12. race — a contest
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. race — humankind
  15. cue — a hint
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. cue — for pool
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. charge — in control
  21. pitch — completely
  22. stock — goods
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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