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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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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: suit · degree · sharp · stand · toast · spell · swing · coach

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. swing — music
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. suit — to fit
  5. degree — temperature
  6. sharp — clever
  7. suit — in cards
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. degree — an amount
  10. spell — magic
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. spell — a short time
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. stand — to bear
  15. swing — in golf
  16. degree — from a university
  17. suit — clothes
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. swing — to play on
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. spell — letters

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