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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: craft · branch · wave · content · lash · pitch · degree · pass

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. branch — a division
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. content — the amount
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pass — a permit
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. degree — temperature
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. degree — from a university
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. content — happy
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. craft — boats
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. craft — a skill

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