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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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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: racket · mark · land · branch · fork · club · bulb · chip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chip — for betting
  4. mark — a grade
  5. land — to come down
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. fork — in a road
  8. club — for dancing
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. club — a group
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bulb — for light
  13. land — ground
  14. land — a country
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. branch — a division
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. club — for golf
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bulb — for light

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