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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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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 · rest · deal · race · drill · bay

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — humankind
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. race — the arms race
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. deal — to handle
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. drill — the tool
  15. rest — a break
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. date — the fruit
  18. rest — what's left

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