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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: board · chip · firm · press · wave · content · dip · cap

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. firm — a company
  5. content — happy
  6. press — newspapers
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. cap — a lid
  9. chip — for betting
  10. content — the amount
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. dip — to sink
  15. cap — a hat
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. press — to push
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. cap — of ice
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — steady
  22. press — a publisher
  23. chip — to eat
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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