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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: capital · kid · dip · mouse · mate · chip · racket · cue

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. dip — to sink
  4. mate — a partner
  5. cue — a signal
  6. chip — for betting
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. kid — child
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a city
  14. mate — a friend
  15. kid — to tease
  16. cue — for pool
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. mate — to breed
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. chip — to eat
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. cue — a hint
  24. racket — for tennis

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