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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 120 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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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 · bear · bay · race · chair · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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 ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. race — humankind
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. race — a contest
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. chair — a leader
  18. race — the arms race

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