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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 116 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: land · charge · bound · spell · mine · field · tube · bank

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. charge — a price
  4. bank — for money
  5. land — a country
  6. land — to come down
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — obliged
  9. land — ground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bound — tied together
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. field — for sport
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. field — a subject
  23. spell — a short time
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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