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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: race · fan · root · pit · fine · craft · staff · racket

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — all right
  3. race — a contest
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. fine — high quality
  7. pit — in a race
  8. staff — employees
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — the cause
  11. race — humankind
  12. craft — a skill
  13. staff — a stick
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. race — the arms race
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. craft — boats
  18. root — of a word
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pit — a hole
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. staff — employees

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