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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: rash · current · staff · object · chest · board · swing · craft

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. swing — in golf
  3. chest — a box
  4. craft — a skill
  5. staff — employees
  6. rash — hasty
  7. craft — boats
  8. staff — a stick
  9. object — a thing
  10. board — a committee
  11. current — happening now
  12. swing — music
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. current — of water
  15. object — to protest
  16. current — electric
  17. staff — employees
  18. swing — to play on
  19. chest — of your body
  20. board — to get on
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. object — an aim
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rash — a series

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