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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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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: firm · suit · last · rest · fan · pass · current · club

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. club — for golf
  3. pass — a permit
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. firm — steady
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. club — for dancing
  12. suit — to fit
  13. firm — decided
  14. last — final
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. rest — a break
  17. current — electric
  18. last — to go on
  19. club — a group
  20. firm — a company
  21. rest — what's left
  22. last — finally
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — in cards

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