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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: jam · content · can · leaves · stem · pitch · degree · fall

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. degree — from a university
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. fall — the season
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. content — the amount
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. can — a tin
  14. content — happy
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. fall — to drop
  18. degree — temperature
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pitch — completely
  21. degree — an amount
  22. fall — to drop
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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