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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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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: club · suit · row · dip · current · ball · drill · clip

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. clip — to cut
  3. club — a group
  4. clip — a video
  5. club — for dancing
  6. current — electric
  7. ball — a dance
  8. dip — to sink
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — army training
  11. ball — a great time
  12. suit — in cards
  13. current — of water
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. clip — for paper
  18. drill — the tool
  19. suit — to fit
  20. current — happening now
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. row — a line
  23. club — for golf
  24. suit — clothes

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