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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: perch · stand · scale · date · roll · last · race · spell

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. spell — magic
  3. stand — to bear
  4. scale — in music
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. roll — a list
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. spell — a short time
  9. last — final
  10. spell — letters
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — a contest
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. race — humankind
  16. scale — size or range
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. roll — a cake
  20. perch — the fish
  21. last — finally
  22. date — the fruit
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. last — to go on

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