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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 120 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: rest · chip · mouse · cue · kid · rule

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. 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. mouse — the animal
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. cue — a signal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — to eat
  7. cue — for pool
  8. rule — government
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. rest — a break
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — to tease
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. 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