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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.

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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: bark · dip · land · arm · current · club · foot · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. land — ground
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. current — of water
  5. land — a country
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. club — a group
  9. current — electric
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bark — to shout
  12. current — happening now
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. club — for golf
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. foot — a measure
  18. land — to come down
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to sink
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. sharp — with an edge

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