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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: scale · can · jam · craft · roll · swing · current · land

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. swing — in golf
  3. roll — a list
  4. land — to come down
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. land — a country
  9. craft — a skill
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. scale — size or range
  13. can — a tin
  14. craft — boats
  15. current — electric
  16. roll — a cake
  17. can — to be able to
  18. current — happening now
  19. scale — in music
  20. swing — music
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. land — ground
  23. swing — to play on
  24. can — a tin

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