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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: net · chip · land · club · pop · lie · branch · bay

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. net — in sport
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. club — a group
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — ground
  8. lie — to recline
  9. club — for golf
  10. net — after costs
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — a division
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. chip — to eat
  16. club — for dancing
  17. pop — soda
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. net — for catching
  20. pop — music
  21. chip — for betting
  22. pop — to visit
  23. land — a country
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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