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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: board · field · swing · racket · wake · sharp · stand · suit

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. swing — music
  4. field — farmland
  5. swing — to play on
  6. suit — in cards
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. board — to get on
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. wake — a trail
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. sharp — clever
  13. field — a subject
  14. swing — in golf
  15. board — a committee
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. field — for sport
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. stand — to bear
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — to fit

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