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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: board · face · row · foot · chair · racket · bay · season

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. face — to point toward
  4. board — a committee
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. face — to confront
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. row — to paddle
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. row — a line
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. season — of the year
  17. face — part of the head
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. foot — the bottom

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