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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: temple · perch · stand · last · rash · scale · pitcher · plane

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. rash — a series
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. rash — hasty
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. last — to go on
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. scale — size or range
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. last — final
  18. last — finally
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. stand — to bear
  21. plane — a tool
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. scale — in music
  24. plane — an aircraft

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