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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 120 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: object · pitch · chair · bark · lash · mug · club · content

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. object — to protest
  4. mug — a cup
  5. object — a thing
  6. pitch — completely
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for dancing
  9. content — the amount
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bark — to shout
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. object — an aim
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. content — happy
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. club — for golf
  22. chair — a leader
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. lash — an eyelash

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