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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: march · object · perch · pass · cue · bore · content · chair

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. object — a thing
  5. march — the month
  6. chair — a leader
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. content — the amount
  9. pass — a permit
  10. march — the month
  11. bore — to tire
  12. march — music
  13. cue — for pool
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bore — to drill
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. object — to protest
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. cue — a signal
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. object — an aim
  24. perch — the fish

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