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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.

Words on the sheet
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: mark · season · vault · net · pass · trunk · perch · mate

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. mark — a grade
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mate — to breed
  6. net — for catching
  7. mate — a partner
  8. season — of the year
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. mate — a friend
  11. pass — a permit
  12. mark — a trace
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. net — in sport
  18. vault — a safe
  19. net — after costs
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. season — in sport
  24. perch — the fish

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