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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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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: bound · chest · charge · mine · game · capital · bank · foot

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bound — obliged
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bound — tied together
  5. charge — a price
  6. bound — certain
  7. foot — a measure
  8. capital — a city
  9. bank — of a river
  10. capital — money
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. charge — electricity
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bank — for money
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bank — for money
  21. chest — a box
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. game — a match
  24. mine — for digging

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