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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 120 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: hide · stand · chest · pop · club · board · pass · bulb

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. chest — a box
  4. chest — of your body
  5. club — for golf
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. pop — music
  9. club — a group
  10. pop — soda
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pass — a permit
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. club — for dancing
  15. pop — to visit
  16. stand — to bear
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bulb — for light
  23. chest — of your body
  24. hide — to keep secret

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