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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 116 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 · bark · net · vault · season · present · stand · safe

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bark — to shout
  3. vault — a safe
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — to breed
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. season — of the year
  8. net — for catching
  9. present — a gift
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. present — the time now
  12. mate — a partner
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. present — there
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. net — after costs
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. season — in sport
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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