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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · pop · court · chest · rush · bulb · staff · chair

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pop — soda
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. staff — a stick
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. chest — of your body
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. pop — music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. staff — employees
  18. pop — to visit
  19. court — of a king
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. staff — employees
  24. court — of law

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