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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 116 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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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: pass · race · perch · content · bore · fan · scale · wind

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. content — happy
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. scale — in music
  7. pass — a permit
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. wind — moving air
  11. perch — the fish
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bore — to tire
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. race — a contest
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — the arms race
  23. wind — moving air
  24. perch — for a bird

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