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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: pitcher · bark · bore · bound · bulb · race · firm · mate

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bulb — for light
  3. firm — a company
  4. mate — to breed
  5. firm — steady
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. race — a contest
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bound — obliged
  12. firm — decided
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bark — to shout
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. race — humankind
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bound — certain
  24. bore — gave birth

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