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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: pit · racket · pass · suit · net · key · fine · root

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. net — in sport
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pit — in a race
  5. net — after costs
  6. root — of a word
  7. key — for a lock
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. root — the cause
  10. pit — a hole
  11. suit — clothes
  12. fine — high quality
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — in music
  15. suit — to fit
  16. root — of a plant
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fine — all right
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. net — for catching

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