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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: branch · object · can · row · scale · racket · hand · degree

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. can — a tin
  3. scale — in music
  4. object — an aim
  5. can — to be able to
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. hand — in cards
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. scale — size or range
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. row — a line
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. degree — temperature
  15. object — to protest
  16. row — to paddle
  17. degree — an amount
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. can — a tin
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. object — a thing
  22. degree — from a university
  23. hand — help
  24. racket — for tennis

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