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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: mine · bound · pitcher · rest · charge · leaves · dip · land

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bound — certain
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rest — what's left
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. dip — to sink
  12. charge — a price
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — electricity
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — a country
  20. rest — a break
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. land — ground
  24. bound — obliged

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