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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: press · branch · key · board · pop · game · bark · kid

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. kid — child
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pop — music
  5. bark — to shout
  6. board — a committee
  7. press — a publisher
  8. game — wild animals
  9. press — to push
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. branch — a division
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — soda
  14. board — to get on
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. key — for a lock
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. game — a match
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. kid — to tease

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