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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 · drill · press · cabinet · charge · pop · fall · sharp

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  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. pop — to visit
  2. pop — music
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pop — soda
  8. drill — army training
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. press — a publisher
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. fall — to drop
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. drill — a practice
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — to push
  18. board — to get on
  19. drill — the tool
  20. fall — the season
  21. charge — electricity
  22. fall — to drop
  23. sharp — clever
  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