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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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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: firm · bore · mark · bass · bound · date · last · bark

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. mark — a trace
  4. firm — decided
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — final
  9. bass — low music
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — the fish
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. firm — a company
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bound — obliged
  18. last — finally
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. firm — steady
  22. bark — to shout
  23. date — the fruit
  24. mark — a grade

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