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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: rash · degree · stem · can · pitch · content · branch · charge

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. degree — temperature
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. content — the amount
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. content — happy
  9. branch — a division
  10. charge — electricity
  11. degree — an amount
  12. rash — hasty
  13. charge — a price
  14. can — a tin
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. degree — from a university
  18. can — to be able to
  19. stem — to come from
  20. can — a tin
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — a series
  23. pitch — completely
  24. charge — in control

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