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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: rush · chip · calf · capital · date · cue · fine · drill

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. cue — a hint
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. chip — to eat
  5. drill — the tool
  6. fine — high quality
  7. capital — money
  8. chip — for betting
  9. drill — a practice
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rush — hurry
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. cue — a signal
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. capital — a city
  16. drill — army training
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. fine — all right

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