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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: rest · land · content · clip · rock · swing · craft · board

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. rest — what's left
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. board — a committee
  5. content — happy
  6. swing — in golf
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — a country
  9. craft — a skill
  10. board — to get on
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. clip — to cut
  13. land — ground
  14. rest — a break
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. content — the amount
  18. clip — a video
  19. rest — what's left
  20. clip — for paper
  21. rock — music
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. swing — music
  24. craft — boats

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