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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: date · kick · rest · rule · stick · spring · cue · chip

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. cue — a signal
  3. rule — a law
  4. spring — the season
  5. rest — a break
  6. date — the fruit
  7. spring — of water
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cue — a hint
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. spring — a coil
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. cue — for pool
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. chip — for betting
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rest — what's left
  23. chip — to eat
  24. rule — government

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