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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 116 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: rush · deal · row · game · swing · board · current · can

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. board — to get on
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. current — happening now
  6. board — a committee
  7. swing — in golf
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. current — electric
  11. row — to paddle
  12. rush — hurry
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. can — to be able to
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. deal — to handle
  17. can — a tin
  18. current — of water
  19. row — a line
  20. swing — to play on
  21. can — a tin
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. game — a match
  24. swing — music

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