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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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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: bark · field · perch · swing · bear · temple · toast · stand

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. field — a subject
  4. bear — the animal
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. field — for sport
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. field — farmland
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bear — the animal
  16. swing — to play on
  17. stand — to bear
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. swing — in golf
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. toast — bread
  23. swing — music
  24. bark — to shout

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