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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: rash · club · band · chip · pitch · temple · straw · stick

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. band — a music group
  5. club — for dancing
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. band — a ring
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rash — hasty
  11. chip — to eat
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. club — for golf
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rash — a series
  17. pitch — completely
  18. chip — for betting
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. club — a group
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. temple — a place of worship

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