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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 · rule · calf · rash · jam · deal · arm · cue

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. rule — government
  3. rash — hasty
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. cue — a signal
  8. rash — a series
  9. capital — money
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. rule — a law
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cue — a hint
  24. capital — a big letter

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