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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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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: scale · kid · snap · pass · current · ground · bound · bay

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bound — certain
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — obliged
  6. kid — to tease
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to click
  10. kid — child
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. ground — a position
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. scale — in music
  18. current — of water
  19. scale — size or range
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. pass — to spend time

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