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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: date · hand · cabinet · swing · chip · capital · rest · rule

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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. swing — in golf
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rest — a break
  5. swing — music
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. swing — to play on
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. hand — in cards
  11. capital — a city
  12. hand — help
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rule — government
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. capital — money
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rule — a law
  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