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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: bound · ruler · wound · net · chip · bay · club · snap

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bound — certain
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bound — obliged
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bound — tied together
  9. club — a group
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. chip — to eat
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. club — for golf
  16. net — after costs
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. net — for catching
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. net — in sport

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