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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 120 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: suit · pit · key · mine · rule · racket · pass · file

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. key — in music
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. file — a tool
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. rule — government
  9. key — for a lock
  10. pit — in a race
  11. suit — in cards
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. suit — clothes
  14. pit — a hole
  15. file — a document
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. file — a line of people
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mine — for digging
  21. suit — to fit
  22. rule — a law
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. pass — to succeed

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