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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: press · bore · ball · dip · roll · fine · land · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. fine — all right
  3. land — a country
  4. bore — to tire
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. land — to come down
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. land — ground
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. charge — electricity
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bore — to drill
  15. dip — to sink
  16. press — a publisher
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — a list
  19. charge — in control
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. press — to push
  22. press — newspapers
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. roll — on a roll

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