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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.

Make a worksheet

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: current · cue · pitcher · capital · kick · straw · firm · march

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. march — the month
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. march — music
  5. capital — a city
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. cue — a hint
  10. firm — steady
  11. cue — a signal
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. current — of water
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — a company
  17. march — the month
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. current — electric
  21. capital — money
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. current — happening now
  24. cue — for pool

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