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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · rock · scale · net · cell · degree · vault · ball

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a dance
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. net — in sport
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. cell — in biology
  12. degree — from a university
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. degree — an amount
  15. net — for catching
  16. degree — temperature
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. vault — a safe
  22. scale — in music
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. cell — a phone

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