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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. board — a committee
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. content — the amount
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. board — to get on
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. pitch — completely
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. snap — to click
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. content — happy
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. fan — to cool the air

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