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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: charge · branch · rest · degree · scale · bulb · club · bowl

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. degree — temperature
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — a price
  5. rest — a break
  6. club — a group
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. rest — what's left
  11. degree — an amount
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. degree — from a university
  14. charge — in control
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. club — for dancing
  19. scale — size or range
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. scale — in music
  22. club — for golf
  23. bulb — for light
  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