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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: race · bay · deal · bore · bark · bound · date · mate

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. race — a contest
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bound — certain
  7. deal — to handle
  8. mate — to breed
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. mate — a friend
  11. race — humankind
  12. bark — to shout
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bore — to drill
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bound — tied together

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