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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 120 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
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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: last · content · perch · scale · hide · season · bat · calf

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. last — to go on
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. perch — the fish
  6. scale — size or range
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bat — the animal
  10. last — finally
  11. content — happy
  12. scale — in music
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. season — of the year
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. season — in sport
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. content — the amount
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. last — final

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