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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: calf · mark · scale · nail · kid · degree · season · perch

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. season — of the year
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. degree — from a university
  7. perch — the fish
  8. kid — to tease
  9. degree — an amount
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. scale — in music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. degree — temperature
  15. mark — a trace
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mark — a grade
  19. scale — size or range
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. kid — child
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. perch — for a bird

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