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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: sharp · content · suit · swing · branch · present · charge · shower

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. present — a gift
  4. branch — a division
  5. shower — to wash
  6. charge — a price
  7. content — the amount
  8. shower — rain
  9. swing — in golf
  10. present — there
  11. sharp — clever
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. suit — to fit
  15. charge — electricity
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. charge — in control
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. suit — clothes
  20. swing — to play on
  21. content — happy
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. present — the time now
  24. suit — in cards

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