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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · capital · pass · calf · chip · root · cue · pitcher

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. chip — to eat
  4. capital — money
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. rush — hurry
  7. capital — a city
  8. chip — for betting
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. root — the cause
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cue — a hint
  18. root — of a plant
  19. cue — a signal
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. root — of a word

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