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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: stick · bulb · capital · kick · chip · date · sharp · coach

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. chip — to eat
  3. kick — in football
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bulb — for light
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. chip — for betting
  12. sharp — clever
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. capital — a city
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. capital — money
  24. date — on the calendar

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