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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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: clip · current · rest · firm · club · season · row · craft

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. row — a line
  6. season — in sport
  7. rest — what's left
  8. firm — decided
  9. season — of the year
  10. club — a group
  11. craft — a skill
  12. current — electric
  13. clip — for paper
  14. current — of water
  15. clip — to cut
  16. firm — a company
  17. clip — a video
  18. rest — a break
  19. current — happening now
  20. firm — steady
  21. club — for dancing
  22. craft — boats
  23. rest — what's left
  24. craft — a handicraft

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