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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: branch · fall · present · game · bay · content · swing · charge

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. swing — music
  3. charge — electricity
  4. game — a match
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. swing — to play on
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. content — the amount
  12. branch — a division
  13. charge — in control
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. content — happy
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. charge — a price
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — there
  20. fall — the season
  21. swing — in golf
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. game — wild animals
  24. present — the time now

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