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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: saw · club · hand · current · board · firm · ball · key

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. ball — a great time
  4. key — for a lock
  5. firm — decided
  6. current — of water
  7. key — the most important part
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. firm — a company
  10. current — electric
  11. board — a committee
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — a group
  14. ball — a dance
  15. key — in music
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. board — to get on
  18. club — for dancing
  19. firm — steady
  20. current — happening now
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — in cards
  23. saw — the tool
  24. ball — a round shape

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