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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: cue · date · dip · patient · stick · calf · charge · degree

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. charge — electricity
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. charge — a price
  6. cue — a signal
  7. dip — to sink
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cue — a hint
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. cue — for pool
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. degree — an amount
  19. date — the fruit
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. charge — in control
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. degree — temperature

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