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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: charge · chip · chest · board · present · press

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — a publisher
  4. chest — of your body
  5. press — to push
  6. present — there
  7. charge — in control
  8. present — a gift
  9. board — a committee
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. charge — a price
  14. chip — to eat
  15. charge — electricity
  16. chest — a box
  17. chip — for betting
  18. board — to get on

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