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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: bass · stand · perch · last · temple · rock · race · toast

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. race — humankind
  5. toast — bread
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — to bear
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. last — to go on
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bass — low music
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. rock — a stone
  15. last — finally
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. rock — music
  18. last — final
  19. bass — the fish
  20. race — the arms race
  21. perch — the fish
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. race — a contest
  24. toast — the most admired

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