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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: pass · bound · perch · bear · land · charge · bass · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  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. mine — belonging to me
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — low music
  7. bear — the animal
  8. perch — the fish
  9. land — ground
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bound — certain
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bound — tied together
  14. charge — a price
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. mine — for digging
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bound — obliged
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. charge — in control

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