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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: wound · board · staff · object · club · key · swing · current

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — a committee
  4. current — electric
  5. staff — employees
  6. object — an aim
  7. swing — to play on
  8. staff — employees
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. swing — music
  12. board — to get on
  13. current — happening now
  14. club — a group
  15. key — in music
  16. club — for dancing
  17. wound — an injury
  18. swing — in golf
  19. current — of water
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. key — the most important part
  23. club — for golf
  24. staff — a stick

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