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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: stick · charge · scale · pitcher · dip · bore · branch · degree

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. charge — a price
  4. dip — to sink
  5. scale — in music
  6. branch — a division
  7. degree — from a university
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bore — to drill
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. scale — size or range
  16. charge — in control
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bore — to tire
  23. degree — an amount
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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