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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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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: sharp · pitcher · march · pop · straw · charge · cue · kick

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. march — the month
  3. cue — for pool
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. march — the month
  6. charge — a price
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. cue — a signal
  9. sharp — clever
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cue — a hint
  13. kick — in football
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. pop — soda
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. march — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. pop — music
  24. pitcher — a jug

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