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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 · bulb · pop · wave · plane · chair · club · bound

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. pop — to visit
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for dancing
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bound — obliged
  12. pop — music
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bound — tied together
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bound — certain
  22. plane — a tool
  23. pop — soda
  24. chair — a leader

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