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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 · wave · clip · bulb · jam · pass · firm · court

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. court — of a king
  3. pass — a permit
  4. court — for sport
  5. clip — a video
  6. clip — to cut
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bulb — for light
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. firm — a company
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. firm — steady
  22. court — of law
  23. firm — decided
  24. pass — to succeed

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