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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: pound · charge · band · press · bark · march · can · coach

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. press — newspapers
  4. charge — electricity
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. band — a music group
  7. march — the month
  8. can — a tin
  9. press — to push
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. march — the month
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. pound — a weight
  16. can — to be able to
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. charge — in control
  19. can — a tin
  20. press — a publisher
  21. charge — a price
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. march — music
  24. pound — for dogs

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