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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: coach · chip · capital · rule · wake · kid · suit · ruler

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. suit — in cards
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. rule — a law
  6. suit — to fit
  7. capital — a city
  8. chip — to eat
  9. kid — child
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. capital — money
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. suit — clothes
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — for betting
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. kid — to tease
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rule — to rule out

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