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

Word bank: craft · plane · bark · rule · cell · toast · club · current

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. rule — government
  3. current — electric
  4. club — a group
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. plane — a tool
  9. rule — a law
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bark — to shout
  13. club — for dancing
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. current — happening now
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. toast — bread
  20. current — of water
  21. club — for golf
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — a phone
  24. craft — boats

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