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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: bark · pound · season · suit · fan · vault · ball · land

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. vault — a safe
  6. season — in sport
  7. land — ground
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. land — a country
  10. suit — clothes
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. ball — a great time
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bark — to shout
  18. ball — a dance
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. season — of the year
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. land — to come down

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