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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. suit — to fit
  3. last — to go on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — a committee
  6. suit — in cards
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. season — of the year
  10. fine — high quality
  11. club — for golf
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. season — in sport
  14. fine — all right
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. club — a group
  17. last — finally
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — happy
  20. suit — clothes
  21. club — for dancing
  22. board — to get on
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. last — final

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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