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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: land · firm · bore · charge · march · track · pound · press

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. march — the month
  3. bore — to drill
  4. charge — in control
  5. press — newspapers
  6. track — a path
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bore — to tire
  10. charge — a price
  11. firm — a company
  12. press — a publisher
  13. firm — decided
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. press — to push
  17. land — ground
  18. charge — electricity
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. march — music
  22. land — a country
  23. march — the month
  24. land — to come down

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