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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
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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: content · scale · date · rock · degree · racket · straw · branch

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — the amount
  5. rock — music
  6. degree — from a university
  7. scale — in music
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. content — happy
  10. degree — temperature
  11. date — the fruit
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. scale — size or range
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. degree — an amount
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. rock — a stone
  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