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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: firm · charge · suit · branch · roll · capital · wind · swing

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. roll — a cake
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. suit — to fit
  9. swing — to play on
  10. firm — steady
  11. roll — a list
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — decided
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. charge — in control
  18. swing — music
  19. suit — clothes
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. swing — in golf
  22. suit — in cards
  23. capital — a city
  24. charge — a price

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