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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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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: bulb · branch · pitch · chip · land · club · deal · cell

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — to come down
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. branch — a division
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cell — in biology
  8. deal — to handle
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. pitch — completely
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. chip — to eat
  14. club — a group
  15. land — a country
  16. club — for golf
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bulb — for light
  21. chip — for betting
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. club — for dancing
  24. cell — a phone

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