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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: charge · land · pass · prune · board · safe · bound · racket

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. board — to get on
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. prune — to trim
  7. charge — a price
  8. land — a country
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — tied together
  12. prune — to trim
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bound — certain
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. board — a committee
  17. charge — electricity
  18. land — ground
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. charge — in control
  21. land — to come down
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. racket — a loud noise

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