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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: board · saw · cell · content · track · chair · season · rock

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. cell — in biology
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. board — to get on
  5. season — of the year
  6. saw — the tool
  7. track — to keep track
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. rock — a stone
  10. content — happy
  11. content — the amount
  12. track — a song
  13. track — a path
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. season — in sport
  21. cell — a phone
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. board — a committee
  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