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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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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: bound · bear · ruler · clip · board · chip · bulb · rash

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — to get on
  3. bear — the animal
  4. board — a committee
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bound — obliged
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. chip — for betting
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. chip — to eat
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — a video
  18. bound — certain
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bound — tied together
  23. rash — a series
  24. ruler — for measuring

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