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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: current · land · club · board · snap · pound · dip · game

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. current — electric
  8. game — a match
  9. current — happening now
  10. land — ground
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. club — for golf
  13. board — a committee
  14. current — of water
  15. land — to come down
  16. pound — a weight
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. land — a country
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. club — a group
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — wild animals
  23. snap — to click
  24. board — to get on

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