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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.

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: can · branch · bank · scale · charge · fork · degree · hide

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — electricity
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. can — a tin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bank — for money
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. scale — size or range
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bank — for money
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. can — a tin
  17. degree — from a university
  18. fork — in a road
  19. can — to be able to
  20. scale — in music
  21. charge — in control
  22. branch — a division
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bank — of a river

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