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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: cue · pitch · arm · chair · club · staff · perch · shower

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. club — for dancing
  7. shower — rain
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. staff — employees
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. cue — a hint
  13. shower — to wash
  14. chair — a leader
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. perch — the fish
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. club — a group
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — completely
  24. club — for golf

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