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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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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: fan · dip · pass · clip · rash · deal · pit · club

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. club — for golf
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. pit — a hole
  5. dip — to sink
  6. club — a group
  7. clip — for paper
  8. club — for dancing
  9. pit — in a race
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. clip — to cut
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. rash — a series
  19. clip — a video
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rash — hasty
  24. pass — a permit

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