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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: drill · arm · capital · face · mouse · bowl · cue · chip

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. face — part of the head
  4. cue — for pool
  5. chip — to eat
  6. capital — a city
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. drill — army training
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. drill — a practice
  16. chip — for betting
  17. capital — money
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bowl — to roll

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