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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. rule — government
  3. current — of water
  4. club — a group
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. race — the arms race
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. current — electric
  10. club — for dancing
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — to handle
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rule — a law
  16. race — humankind
  17. current — happening now
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. saw — the tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. club — for golf
  23. race — a contest
  24. plane — a tool

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