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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 120 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: pop · chip · clip · press · net · board · fine · face

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. chip — to eat
  3. net — for catching
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — all right
  6. net — after costs
  7. face — to point toward
  8. clip — a video
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — music
  11. fine — high quality
  12. face — part of the head
  13. chip — for betting
  14. pop — to visit
  15. board — to get on
  16. clip — for paper
  17. press — to push
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. face — to confront
  20. clip — to cut
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — a publisher
  23. board — a committee
  24. chip — in a computer

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