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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: mate · season · net · dip · chair · toast · race · vault

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. mate — a friend
  4. race — humankind
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. race — a contest
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. season — of the year
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. season — in sport
  11. net — in sport
  12. vault — a safe
  13. net — after costs
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. toast — bread
  17. chair — a leader
  18. race — the arms race
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. dip — to sink
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. mate — a partner
  24. net — for catching

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