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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 · arm · club · dip · suit · content · current

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. club — for dancing
  3. current — of water
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. suit — to fit
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. suit — in cards
  9. club — a group
  10. suit — clothes
  11. mine — for digging
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. content — the amount
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. land — to come down
  17. club — for golf
  18. land — a country
  19. content — happy
  20. current — electric
  21. dip — to sink
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. current — happening now
  24. land — ground

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