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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: chip · club · sharp · spell · current · swing · key · lie

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. spell — magic
  3. current — of water
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. sharp — clever
  8. current — electric
  9. spell — letters
  10. key — the most important part
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — to eat
  13. spell — a short time
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. swing — music
  17. club — for dancing
  18. current — happening now
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. lie — to recline
  21. swing — in golf
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — a group
  24. swing — to play on

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