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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: snap · stock · nail · bat · ruler · land · bound · current

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bound — certain
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. snap — to click
  7. bound — tied together
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. bat — the animal
  14. current — electric
  15. current — of water
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. current — happening now
  18. stock — goods
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. land — ground
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — shares

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