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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: date · land · cap · leaves · mate · vault · foot · net

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. land — to come down
  3. cap — of ice
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. vault — a safe
  6. land — ground
  7. mate — to breed
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — in sport
  10. cap — a lid
  11. land — a country
  12. net — after costs
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. mate — a friend
  15. foot — a measure
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. cap — a hat
  19. mate — a partner
  20. date — the fruit
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. foot — part of the body

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