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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 116 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
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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: dip · current · squash · pitch · band · file · clip · club

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. file — a line of people
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for golf
  6. current — happening now
  7. squash — to crush
  8. file — a tool
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. current — of water
  11. dip — to sink
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. current — electric
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. club — for dancing
  18. squash — the sport
  19. band — a music group
  20. clip — for paper
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — a video
  23. band — a ring
  24. file — a document

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