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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 120 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 · content · board · land · fan · club · file · bank

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. land — to come down
  3. content — happy
  4. bank — for money
  5. file — a document
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bank — of a river
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. board — to get on
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. club — for dancing
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. club — for golf
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. file — a line of people
  18. content — the amount
  19. land — ground
  20. bank — for money
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. land — a country
  23. file — a tool
  24. club — a group

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