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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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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: present · wake · content · swing · sharp · fine · branch · club

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. club — for dancing
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — in golf
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. club — a group
  7. swing — music
  8. present — the time now
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. present — there
  12. wake — a trail
  13. branch — a division
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. club — for golf
  18. sharp — clever
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. content — the amount
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. content — happy
  24. present — a gift

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