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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: calf · swing · staff · current · club · chip · wound · bulb

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. swing — to play on
  4. wound — an injury
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. wound — an injury
  7. swing — in golf
  8. club — for dancing
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bulb — for light
  12. staff — a stick
  13. swing — music
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. current — happening now
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. club — for golf
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. bulb — for light
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. club — a group

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