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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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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: net · charge · race · date · cue · toast · season · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. date — the fruit
  3. race — humankind
  4. season — in sport
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — after costs
  7. toast — bread
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cue — for pool
  11. net — for catching
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. season — of the year
  15. race — a contest
  16. charge — in control
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. charge — a price
  19. pitch — completely
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. charge — electricity
  22. cue — a hint
  23. race — the arms race
  24. cue — a signal

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