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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: roll · kick · coach · spell · stick · bore · chip · capital

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. capital — a city
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. spell — a short time
  10. roll — a cake
  11. capital — money
  12. chip — for betting
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. kick — in football
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bore — to tire
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bore — to drill
  23. chip — to eat
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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