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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: cue · capital · present · mouse · fall · calf · net · chip

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. net — in sport
  3. cue — a hint
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. chip — to eat
  6. net — after costs
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. present — the time now
  10. chip — for betting
  11. present — there
  12. net — for catching
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. cue — a signal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fall — the season
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. present — a gift
  24. capital — money

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