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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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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 · content · game · stick · root · key · mark · press

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. content — happy
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. root — of a word
  6. game — a match
  7. root — of a plant
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. key — the most important part
  10. press — a publisher
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. root — the cause
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — in music
  15. press — to push
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — a trace
  18. board — to get on
  19. content — the amount
  20. game — wild animals
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. board — a committee

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