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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · scale · season · cell · stock · rest · chair · board

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. board — to get on
  4. scale — in music
  5. rest — a break
  6. rash — a series
  7. cell — a phone
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. rest — what's left
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. cell — in biology
  14. scale — size or range
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. board — a committee
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rest — what's left
  20. season — of the year
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. season — in sport
  24. chair — a leader

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