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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 116 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 · content · rest · rock · kick · season · last · chip

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. board — a committee
  3. chip — for betting
  4. rest — a break
  5. content — happy
  6. last — finally
  7. kick — in football
  8. season — of the year
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. last — final
  12. board — to get on
  13. rock — music
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rock — a stone
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. chip — to eat
  19. content — the amount
  20. season — in sport
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. last — to go on
  24. kick — a thrill

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