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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 120 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: content · arm · ground · coach · board · last · wake · chair

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. last — to go on
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. ground — a position
  6. chair — a leader
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. content — happy
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. last — finally
  11. wake — a trail
  12. ground — crushed
  13. last — final
  14. ground — the earth
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. board — a flat piece

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