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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: mouse · deal · rest · game · bound · date · race · bear

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bear — the animal
  3. game — a match
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. game — wild animals
  9. race — humankind
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. race — a contest
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rest — a break
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bound — obliged
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. race — the arms race
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bound — certain

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