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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 · can · capital · rush · object · date · ground · cap

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. date — the fruit
  3. ground — crushed
  4. object — a thing
  5. can — a tin
  6. rush — hurry
  7. cue — for pool
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. object — to protest
  10. cap — of ice
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. can — to be able to
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — a hat
  15. object — an aim
  16. ground — a position
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. capital — a city
  19. ground — the earth
  20. capital — money
  21. cue — a signal
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. cue — a hint
  24. can — a tin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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