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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 · pass · stick · board · club · wake · swing · plane

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. swing — music
  3. pass — a permit
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. club — a group
  7. swing — to play on
  8. wake — a trail
  9. plane — a tool
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. club — for golf
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. club — for dancing
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. swing — in golf
  23. board — a committee
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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