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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
468
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: pitch · degree · bay · content · dip · march · bulb · stock

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. content — the amount
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. stock — shares
  10. degree — temperature
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — goods
  15. bulb — for light
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — from a university
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. content — happy
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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