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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 · pass · snap · rash · clip · game · dip · roll

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. clip — a video
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. club — for dancing
  5. rash — hasty
  6. club — a group
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. roll — a list
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — to sink
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. clip — to cut
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. club — for golf
  17. rash — a series
  18. pass — a permit
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. roll — a cake
  21. snap — to click
  22. clip — for paper
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. game — a match

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