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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: hide · content · present · stick · board · mate · chip · sharp

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. board — a committee
  4. mate — to breed
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. mate — a friend
  7. chip — to eat
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. present — the time now
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mate — a partner
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. present — a gift
  18. content — happy
  19. content — the amount
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. present — there
  22. chip — for betting
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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