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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
468
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: pound · degree · bass · staff · scale · tear · ball · branch

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. staff — employees
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — an amount
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. degree — temperature
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. branch — a division
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. tear — from crying
  16. ball — a great time
  17. staff — employees
  18. bass — the fish
  19. tear — from crying
  20. staff — a stick
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bass — low music
  24. scale — for weighing

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