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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: capital · degree · date · cue · ruler · hand · squash · object

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. degree — temperature
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. degree — an amount
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. cue — a hint
  7. object — a thing
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. capital — money
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. hand — in cards
  12. squash — the sport
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. cue — a signal
  15. squash — to crush
  16. capital — a city
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. object — an aim
  19. cue — for pool
  20. object — to protest
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. hand — help
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. degree — from a university

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