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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 116 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: band · chair · mug · club · calf · chip · perch · pitch

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. club — for dancing
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. perch — the fish
  5. band — a music group
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. club — for golf
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chair — a leader
  10. club — a group
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — a cup
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. mug — to rob
  24. chip — for betting

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