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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: capital · chair · kick · snap · cue · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. cue — for pool
  4. chair — a leader
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. cue — a hint
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. capital — a city
  12. snap — to click
  13. current — electric
  14. cue — a signal
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. capital — money
  17. kick — in football
  18. chair — a professorship

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