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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: roll · cue · dip · capital · bass · chip · drill · deal

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. drill — army training
  3. cue — a hint
  4. chip — to eat
  5. cue — a signal
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. capital — money
  8. chip — for betting
  9. dip — to sink
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. drill — the tool
  14. capital — a city
  15. roll — a list
  16. deal — to handle
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. roll — a cake
  19. cue — for pool
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bass — low music
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bass — the fish

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