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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · fan · snap · ground · club · pass · cold · board

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — crushed
  3. club — for golf
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to click
  6. club — a group
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bound — obliged
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bound — certain
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bound — tied together
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. club — for dancing
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a committee
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cold — not warm
  24. fan — to cool the air

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