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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: court · fine · clip · suit · current · pass · dip · row

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. suit — to fit
  4. row — to paddle
  5. suit — in cards
  6. fine — all right
  7. row — a line
  8. court — for sport
  9. dip — to sink
  10. clip — a video
  11. suit — clothes
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. pass — a permit
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. fine — high quality
  16. clip — for paper
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. current — electric
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — of water
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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