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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: scale · degree · arm · net · jam · tube · branch · chest

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  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. net — in sport
  2. degree — temperature
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. scale — in music
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. chest — of your body
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. chest — a box
  10. degree — an amount
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. tube — the underground
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. tube — a container
  18. chest — of your body
  19. net — for catching
  20. branch — a division
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. net — after costs
  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