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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: swing · track · land · craft · current · game · jam · board

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — wild animals
  3. land — to come down
  4. track — a song
  5. swing — music
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — electric
  9. swing — to play on
  10. board — to get on
  11. track — a path
  12. craft — a skill
  13. land — ground
  14. craft — boats
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. board — a committee
  17. current — of water
  18. track — to keep track
  19. game — a match
  20. swing — in golf
  21. land — a country
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. craft — a handicraft

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