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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: pound · charge · land · bound · staff · hide · rock · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. staff — employees
  3. rock — a stone
  4. staff — employees
  5. land — ground
  6. rock — music
  7. land — to come down
  8. suit — to fit
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. land — a country
  12. staff — a stick
  13. charge — a price
  14. bound — certain
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bound — obliged
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bound — tied together
  19. suit — clothes
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. hide — to keep secret

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