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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: content · current · chest · club · land · bank · track · board

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. club — for dancing
  3. board — to get on
  4. track — a song
  5. track — to keep track
  6. land — to come down
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. content — the amount
  11. chest — a box
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for golf
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. content — happy
  16. bank — of a river
  17. track — a path
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. land — a country
  21. current — happening now
  22. land — ground
  23. current — electric
  24. board — a committee

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