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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cue — a hint
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. capital — money
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. rock — music
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. pass — a permit
  9. rock — a stone
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cue — a signal
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. cue — for pool
  18. current — happening now
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rest — what's left
  21. current — electric
  22. capital — a city
  23. current — of water
  24. pass — to spend time

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