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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 116 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: capital · rule · cue · bear · snap · kid · chip · bowl

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. capital — a city
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rule — a law
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rule — government
  16. chip — to eat
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. kid — to tease
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — money
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — child
  24. bowl — a dish

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