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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: key · pitch · rock · straw · charge · net · mate · date

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — in sport
  3. mate — to breed
  4. date — the fruit
  5. pitch — completely
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. mate — a partner
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. key — for a lock
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. charge — in control
  18. net — after costs
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. mate — a friend
  21. key — in music
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. straw — dry grass

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