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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bound · ground · cell · stand · game · pit · charge · mine

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bound — obliged
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bound — tied together
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. stand — to bear
  8. mine — for digging
  9. cell — a phone
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. charge — a price
  12. pit — in a race
  13. ground — crushed
  14. charge — in control
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. game — wild animals
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. cell — in biology
  19. pit — a hole
  20. ground — a position
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bound — certain
  23. charge — electricity
  24. game — a match

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