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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: rule · degree · stick · date · kick · chip

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. kick — in football
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. chip — to eat
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rule — a law
  9. degree — temperature
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. degree — an amount
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. degree — from a university
  14. rule — government
  15. date — the fruit
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. chip — for betting

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