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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: chair · season · board · row · roll · bass · bay · coach

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. bass — low music
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. row — a line
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. board — to get on
  16. roll — a list
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. season — of the year
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. board — a committee
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. season — in sport

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