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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: board · key · game · content · press · pop · band · bark

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. key — in music
  3. press — to push
  4. pop — to visit
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a music group
  7. game — a match
  8. pop — soda
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — happy
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. pop — music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. board — to get on
  16. press — newspapers
  17. board — a committee
  18. game — wild animals
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. band — a ring
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bark — to shout

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