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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: stand · perch · content · toast · cue · straw · staff · last

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. content — happy
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. staff — a stick
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. stand — to bear
  7. staff — employees
  8. cue — a signal
  9. perch — the fish
  10. staff — employees
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. cue — a hint
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. last — to go on
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. last — finally
  18. cue — for pool
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. content — the amount
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. last — final
  24. toast — bread

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