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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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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: field · suit · current · pit · swing · fine · court · coach

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. current — electric
  5. field — for sport
  6. suit — clothes
  7. field — a subject
  8. court — of law
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. court — of a king
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. field — farmland
  14. suit — to fit
  15. current — happening now
  16. court — for sport
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — music
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pit — in a race
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. suit — in cards
  23. current — of water
  24. swing — in golf

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