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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: chip · degree · ball · craft · date · fan · sharp · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. craft — a skill
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — temperature
  12. ball — a great time
  13. chip — for betting
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. craft — boats
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. sharp — clever
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. date — the fruit
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. degree — an amount
  24. ball — a dance

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