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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. capital — a city
  3. chip — for betting
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — government
  7. current — of water
  8. cap — a hat
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. chip — to eat
  14. capital — money
  15. current — electric
  16. current — happening now
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. spell — magic
  20. cap — of ice
  21. spell — letters
  22. cap — a lid
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. rule — a law

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