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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: fan · dip · bank · content · pitch · board · deal · shower

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. bank — for money
  3. board — a committee
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. shower — rain
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bank — for money
  10. dip — to sink
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bank — of a river
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. board — to get on
  16. content — the amount
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. content — happy
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pitch — completely
  21. deal — to handle
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. fan — a supporter

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