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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: dip · kid · content · board · key · last · pound · present

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. key — the most important part
  3. last — to go on
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. kid — to tease
  7. present — there
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. last — finally
  10. key — in music
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. board — a committee
  13. pound — a weight
  14. content — the amount
  15. last — final
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. present — the time now
  18. kid — child
  19. board — to get on
  20. key — for a lock
  21. present — a gift
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. content — happy
  24. dip — to sink

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