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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: land · chip · dip · kick · coach · deal · craft · rule

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. kick — in football
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. craft — boats
  6. chip — to eat
  7. land — ground
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. land — a country
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rule — government
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rule — a law
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. deal — to handle
  23. land — to come down
  24. chip — in a computer

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