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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: land · mine · bank · stem · swing · content · current · fan

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. land — ground
  3. swing — music
  4. content — happy
  5. bank — of a river
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. swing — in golf
  8. content — the amount
  9. current — of water
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. land — a country
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. mine — for digging
  20. swing — to play on
  21. current — happening now
  22. land — to come down
  23. current — electric
  24. bank — for money

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