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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: suit · pitch · degree · content · bank · board · mate · patient

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bank — for money
  5. degree — from a university
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. content — happy
  8. bank — for money
  9. suit — in cards
  10. content — the amount
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bank — of a river
  13. degree — an amount
  14. suit — to fit
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. degree — temperature
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. mate — a friend
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. board — to get on
  23. suit — clothes
  24. patient — a sick person

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