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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: pound · swing · snap · chip · calf · capital · ruler · bound

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. swing — music
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. chip — to eat
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. snap — to click
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. capital — a city
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. pound — a weight
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bound — certain
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. swing — to play on
  17. chip — for betting
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bound — obliged
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. capital — money
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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