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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pound · bark · fan · stand · club · clip · squash · current

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. current — happening now
  4. bark — to shout
  5. clip — for paper
  6. club — a group
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. club — for dancing
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. clip — a video
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. club — for golf
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. squash — to crush
  21. pound — a weight
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. squash — the sport

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