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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: fan · clip · net · charge · mark · suit · file · club

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. clip — to cut
  4. file — a line of people
  5. suit — in cards
  6. clip — for paper
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. suit — to fit
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. club — for dancing
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. file — a tool
  15. charge — electricity
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — a group
  18. net — for catching
  19. file — a document
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — a price
  22. suit — clothes
  23. mark — a trace
  24. clip — a video

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