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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.

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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: cabinet · swing · branch · degree · track · perch · scale · mouse

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. degree — temperature
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. degree — from a university
  9. swing — to play on
  10. scale — in music
  11. track — a song
  12. swing — music
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. scale — size or range
  17. degree — an amount
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. track — a path
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. track — to keep track
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — a division

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