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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: lash · pitch · degree · net · rock · content · shower · stand

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. shower — to wash
  3. degree — from a university
  4. net — after costs
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. content — happy
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. degree — temperature
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. stand — to bear
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. rock — a stone
  14. net — in sport
  15. degree — an amount
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. net — for catching
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. rock — music
  23. shower — rain
  24. rock — to move gently

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