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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: current · rule · date · plane · race · club

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. race — the arms race
  3. plane — a tool
  4. club — a group
  5. rule — a law
  6. club — for golf
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. race — humankind
  9. current — electric
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. current — happening now
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. club — for dancing
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. race — a contest
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. date — the fruit

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