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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: root · content · bore · pass · chair · lash · land · scale

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. land — to come down
  4. chair — a leader
  5. land — a country
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. pass — a permit
  8. root — of a plant
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. content — happy
  11. bore — to drill
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. land — ground
  15. root — the cause
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. root — of a word
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bore — to tire
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — size or range
  24. lash — an eyelash

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