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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 116 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: snap · bound · cap · bore · court · rock

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — music
  4. bore — to drill
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. court — of law
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. court — of a king
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bound — obliged
  12. snap — to click
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. cap — a hat
  16. court — for sport
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rock — to move gently

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