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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
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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 · ball · wax · branch · degree · chip · can · rock

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. degree — an amount
  3. chip — for betting
  4. can — a tin
  5. ball — a great time
  6. can — to be able to
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. degree — temperature
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wax — to grow
  12. can — a tin
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. ball — a dance
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. degree — from a university
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. scale — in music
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. scale — size or range
  21. rock — music
  22. branch — a division
  23. chip — to eat
  24. ball — a round shape

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