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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: bound · present · land · root · leaves · mark · cap · charge

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. land — to come down
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bound — obliged
  5. land — ground
  6. charge — a price
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — of a word
  9. mark — a grade
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. cap — of ice
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. cap — a lid
  15. charge — in control
  16. land — a country
  17. bound — tied together
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. present — a gift
  21. charge — electricity
  22. cap — a hat
  23. root — the cause
  24. bound — certain

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