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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: temple · degree · scale · bank · racket · swing · mouse · branch

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — in golf
  3. degree — an amount
  4. bank — of a river
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. scale — size or range
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. degree — temperature
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bank — for money
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. swing — to play on
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. scale — in music
  22. branch — a division
  23. bank — for money
  24. degree — from a university

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