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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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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: racket · squash · plane · stand · sharp · leaves · suit · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. plane — a tool
  6. suit — to fit
  7. squash — to crush
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. suit — clothes
  11. sharp — clever
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. squash — the sport
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. suit — in cards
  17. game — wild animals
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. stand — to bear
  23. game — a match
  24. plane — an aircraft

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