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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 120 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: club · ground · kick · snap · bound · prune · craft · ruler

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. club — a group
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. ground — the earth
  5. kick — in football
  6. club — for golf
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. craft — a skill
  9. club — for dancing
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ground — a position
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. prune — to trim
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. ground — crushed
  20. snap — to click
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — tied together
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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