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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: can · bulb · club · hand · race · stem · suit · fan

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. suit — clothes
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. club — a group
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. hand — help
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. hand — in cards
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. race — humankind
  16. bulb — for light
  17. race — a contest
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bulb — for light
  22. can — a tin
  23. club — for dancing
  24. race — the arms race

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