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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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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: kid · rash · bay · bulb · capital · cue · clip · chip

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bulb — for light
  7. capital — money
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. chip — for betting
  11. clip — for paper
  12. kid — to tease
  13. clip — to cut
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. cue — a hint
  20. kid — child
  21. cue — for pool
  22. clip — a video
  23. bulb — for light
  24. chip — to eat

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