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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: dip · press · key · pop · charge · board · hand · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pop — to visit
  4. charge — a price
  5. press — to push
  6. pop — music
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. press — a publisher
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. board — to get on
  11. content — the amount
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. key — for a lock
  14. content — happy
  15. hand — help
  16. board — a committee
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pop — soda
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — to sink
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — in control
  23. key — in music
  24. key — the most important part

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