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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: ball · content · rock · perch · dip · race · chair · pass

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. ball — a dance
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. race — the arms race
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rock — music
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. race — humankind
  15. perch — the fish
  16. rock — a stone
  17. ball — a great time
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. race — a contest
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. dip — to sink
  24. content — happy

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