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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 · spell · arm · degree · object · rule · rock · branch

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. degree — an amount
  3. spell — letters
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. spell — magic
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rule — government
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. scale — in music
  10. object — a thing
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. spell — a short time
  13. degree — temperature
  14. object — an aim
  15. rock — music
  16. rule — a law
  17. degree — from a university
  18. branch — a division
  19. object — to protest
  20. rock — a stone
  21. scale — size or range
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. scale — for weighing

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