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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 · rash · current · pitcher · root · clip · bank

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bank — of a river
  3. clip — to cut
  4. club — for golf
  5. rash — a series
  6. root — the cause
  7. current — electric
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. club — a group
  10. rash — hasty
  11. club — for dancing
  12. current — happening now
  13. root — of a plant
  14. clip — a video
  15. current — of water
  16. suit — clothes
  17. bank — for money
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bank — for money
  20. suit — in cards
  21. root — of a word
  22. clip — for paper
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rash — on the skin

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